Alvin Lieberman, San Diego (Plaza, Man Walking), 1971, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, ©1971, Al Lieberman, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.887
The heart a lump
by Anis Mojgani
Of all the times your body
laying upon mine I find
myself only now
writing of ones
that were done in the dark days
that came
after the good light
of what danced between us
and that good light becomes
fickle a thread unraveling even while
being knitted I cannot trust
the taste
of anything anymore
my heart a lump
covering an animal
whose cry I do not recognize
and whether it utters
its self out of hunger
for longing or
from loneliness
or simply to hear
what it sounds like
when trying to find
its voice again
even hurricane season is changing
I trust still
I do
but truly
maybe
only my family
the hearts of ten or so friends
what music does for me
and the gunshot
of the leaves
changing to yellow
Published February 3rd, 2019
Anis Mojgani is the author of five books of poetry, his most recent being In the Pockets of Small Gods (Write Bloody Publishing, 2018). A two time National Poetry Slam Champion, and winner of the International World Cup Poetry Slam, his work has appeared on HBO, NPR, and in such journals as Bat City Review, Rattle, Buzzfeed Reader, Thrush, and Forklift Ohio. Originally from New Orleans, Anis currently lives in Portland, OR, where he serves on the Board of Directors for Literary Arts.
Al Liebermann's avid interest in photography began in the turbulent 1960’s when he photographed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During that time he was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. His photographs are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the American Museum of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.