Another poet I discovered recently. And another poem that has me reading poetry again.
Excelsior Fashion Products, Easter
By D. Nurkse
They pay us time and a half
and don’t dare catch us
drinking: we don’t insist,
don’t pass a bottle, but each sips
a private pint, all sitting
in the narrow room with our backs
to the center, each facing
his work – router, stain tray,
buffing wheel, drill press –
and with that sweet taste echoing
in our bones, we watch our hands
make what they always made
– rosewood handles – but now
we smile in delighted surprise
and Marchesi brings envelopes
that record a full day’s work
though it’s still noon,
processions still fill the streets,
choirs, loudspeakers bellowing,
Hallelujah: and we change
into our finest clothes in the locker room,
admiring each other’s hat brims, passing bottles
freely until all are empty, and at last
we separate in the brilliant street, each
in the direction of a different tolling bell.
About D. Nurkse
Dennis Nurkse is an American poet known for his profound explorations of personal and political themes. He was born to Estonian parents who escaped Nazi Europe During World War II. His father worked for the League of Nations, and his mother was an artist.
He has won numerous awards for his poetry, including grants from the NEA. He has also worked for human rights organizations, and was elected to the board of directors of Amnesty International USA. (Source: Poetry Foundation)
