After The Party

posted Jun 29, 2010

So the dog wakes you
The neighbor's dog as well—
They were large Newfoundland warnings
Of a ship astray, men sweating in panic—
Raining with passion
Pieces of planking wading waves…

Next it was morning and sunny.
Strange, says your wife, sitting up
In the pale creases of light off water

The dog snoring like a sailor
Next to the bed. The door unlatched

Robert VanderMolen is the author of Water, Breath, Night Weather, and Of Pines. He lives and works in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We’ve published four more poems by VanderMolen: “The Confession,” “The Joke,” “After Lunch,” and “Spring and All.”