HOME / poem: A weekly poem, read by the author.

"Draft"

By James HochPosted Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005, at 11:18 AM ET

Click here to listen to James Hoch reading this poem.



Some things, I knew,
were beyond choosing—
father leaving, the endless

caring for mother, that love
is a salving: what medics and nurses do.

Fodder,
I was too small to object,
the conscription too severe.

So when you said
you felt drafted
into marriage, the shutter

screwing up my face, you
quickly followed, just a metaphor,

putting me at ease.
Try another,
I said, closing the window,

drawing a breath between each
sentence, trailing closely every word.

Print This ArticlePRINTEmail to a FriendE-MAILShare This ArticleRECOMMEND...Get Slate RSS FeedsRSS
James Hoch teaches at Franklin and Marshall College. His most recent book of poems is A Parade of Hands.
Click here to visit Robert Pinsky's Favorite Poem Project site.


Please note: Because Slate's backlog of accepted poems is substantial, poetry
editor Robert Pinsky will not be reading new submissions until December 2005.
What did you think of this article?
Join The Fray: Our Reader Discussion Forum
POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES
TODAY'S PICTURES
TODAY'S CARTOONS
TODAY'S DOONESBURY
TODAY'S VIDEO
Opposites attract.75/090706_TP.jpg
Cartoonists' take on race.93/090706_TC.jpg
The apple and the orange.70/090706_TD.jpg