Poetry Eclogue by Spencer Reece October 13, 2008 In Juno Beach, on Pelican Lake,

Joseph Saul ate potato chips off a paper plate

and fed the broken bits to a duck.

He was accompanied by Laurie McGraw,

whom he met at the Alzheimer’s Support Group—

she had been a caregiver, he had a diagnosis,

and together their eyes vacantly connected.

Laurie spelled her name with a large dot

or a star atop the “i.” A born-again,

with two failed marriages so far,

she sent Joseph pamphlets in the mail

about Jews who could be saved by Christ.

On her day off, she washed her blind dog

with soap. The two discussed the pleasure

of naps. The duck strutted in uniformed plume,

greasy black-green, speckled red pate,

sated, companioned, unbundling with poop,

the duck thrust with the thrust of youth;

interior decorator of the lake, the duck

was flush with floor maps. Joseph oversaw

the duck’s scufflings as Laurie made a note

to arrange another semidetached date.

The New Yorker, Oct.9, 2009

Meanwhile, Martin, Robert Pinsky has been on the board the last few days discussing a variety of things with PoemsFray regulars. Too bad you missed him.

I didn't miss Mr. Pinsky. I saw this and tossed into the set of things to read. Yes, unruly.

Hi, Martin, I liked this poem; in fact, had to come back and read it a second time. You know, it would only be half as good if it weren't for the great title. There's a subtle and morbid humor at play beneath this otherwise bland description of a day at the park. Joseph and Laurie, the modern day shepherds, seem equally helpless, even though one has Alzheimer's and one does not. And the pastoral setting seems a bit sullied with potato chip crumbs and duck poop. And to call their outing a "semidetached" date! Formerly I have only seen the term in "for rent" ads in the paper, i.e., in an architectural sense ... or rather, a woeful lack of architectural sense.

I humbly second islandtime.

I ad that the poem in its depth is moving and I am moved.