"But the thought of being a lunatic did not trouble him. The horror was that he might also be wrong."
-George Orwell, 1984
Steve Henn teaches high school English in northern Indiana. He’s the author of several books including Guilty Prayer, Indiana Noble Sad Man of the Year, and his most recent chapbook, American Male, published by Main Street Rag in February 2022. Steve's the proud father of his children with the late American artist Lydia Henn. He loves crab cakes, playing records, and he gives poetry readings in all kinds of places.
Welcome to the Poets Weave. I’m Romayne Rubinas Dorsey. Steve joins us long distance from his classroom. Welcome, Steve. What have you brought for us today?
The Dawning
Maybe it’s the heat that’s melted
something in my core otherwise jagged,
cynical or aloof here at Three Crowns Coffee
but when the first thing the homeless guy
alone on the couch says to me is “if you ever need
anything don’t be afraid to ask,” I don’t laugh
or shake my head, I don’t chuckle or guffaw
or break eye contact at this humanizing
and unprecedented offer of assistance
from a stranger even though it’s curiously followed
by “nice to meet you” and “I’m here all the time”
which is not entirely true, seeing as he’s not been
here any of the 10 or 15 times this summer
I’ve been in, drinking iced tea and jotting a few lines
or chatting up my 10 year old – still,
I’m struck and lifted, pleased and pacified and inspired
by such a gesture, so simple and dignified
from a man carrying clothes in plastic grocery bags,
a strip of rag run through his belt loops, knotted
and forming a tail there where the buckle would be
and I’m nearly embarrassed by his gracefulness
as he’s leaving he says “be careful now, out in this heat”
sweet Jesus is this happening? Who is this man?
Do Saints exist? Why do I feel like I’m going to cry?
God in Heaven Who I’ll wake up doubting tomorrow
or Something or Someone Up There or Out There tell me
this is what the world is coming to, I so much want
to believe in this, tell me this is where we start anew.
Father’s Day, Fishing
Did you see that Dad? my boy
said from the grass behind the seawall
that’s quite a cast
for a five year old he said
I wish I were so
unconsciously witty
later he said I almost
got it in that boat
I said that would not
be good he said let’s go
there and gestured
like Caesar Augustus at the public
pier presently I worried
he’d fall in then his lure
stuck in the rope in the water
that anyone can swim under
if they want to go beyond
but no one does because
social norms I dropped to a knee
set my rod down reached
into the water and while prying
his lure from the rope I wasn’t
thinking quite as much about dying
Perfectly Natural
See that man
He’s following me
The organization he represents
has rigged an elaborate ruse
to convince me he’s not following me
Like he’s already at the cookie shop when I arrive
But he’s reading a thick book in a showy way
Like, nobody here but us book readers, just here
reading a book, me and you buddy, cookie shop book readers,
Come talk to me and I will infiltrate your subversive circle
of poets and musicians and art-supremacists
He’s sitting right behind me He wants me to say something
I can hear him breathing hoooo-pahhhh, hoooo-pahhh,
mimicking Darth Vader because he knows I get the joke
I am not going to talk to him I will not talk to him
He gets up to toss trash, bumps into a “coworker” at the door
This “coworker” is also a part of this elaborate ruse of undercover surveillance
“Are you going in?” he says. She laughs “not til 4!”
A ha ha ha. A ha. A hah. Titter titter. Two normal local “workers” sharing a joke
But this is no joke.
He obviously is trying to get me to say things to him
He obviously wants to know things about our plans
To replace hymnals with profane poetry in every church in the county on Easter Sunday
I don’t tell him anything I will never tell him anything they can’t make me talk
He is headed out of doors. He is headed across the street. A car honks
as he crosses and he waves casually, just a normal local book-reading
Darth Vader-imitating “worker” having a casual day waving to cars casually
That was very clever
I have to give them that
If I didn’t know better I would think that was perfectly natural.
---You’ve been listening to the poetry of Steve Hann on the Poets Weave. I’m Romayne Rubinas Dorsey.