Let The Day Go by Grace Paley
Let The Day Go
Grace Paleywho needs it
I had another day in mind
something like this one
sunny green the earth
just right having suffered
the assault of what is called
torrential rain the pepper
the basil sitting upright
in their little boxes waiting
I suppose for me also the
cosmos the zinnias nearly
blooming a year too late
forget it let the day go
the sweet green day let it
take care of itself
MARGINALIA
1.
I think am one of those people you glimpse at night, whose silhouettes are outlined behind the curtain, whose windows are open, and you can hear music playing. Say, Henry Mancini’s Moon River. Or Dustin O’Halloran’s Opus 23.
2.
Except I have no window. And it’s Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. And I’m working through the night. And I’m tapping my feet.
3.
Are you alone tonight?
4.
We’ll get by.
ABOUT GRACE PALEY
On December 11, 1922 in Bronx, N.Y., Grace Paley (nee Goodside) was born to Jewish Ukrainian immigrants Isaac and Manya Goodside. Paley began to publish in her thirties. Her first book, The Little Disturbances of Man (1959) was a collection of short stories about New York life. The success of the book was slow, but gained an ardent following over time, prompting a re-issue nine years later. Paley’s second collection of short fiction, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute, published in… (more)
Read more poems by Grace Paley • Find books by this poet on Amazon • Bookshop • Or view my library
ENDNOTES
- Explore other works • Or browse the index
- If this work resonates with you, please consider supporting the archive. Thank you for reading.
Megan Hasse
I think you are one of those people who, if you had a window, would always be looking out it. You would never get your work done. Listen to Angus and Julia Stone, Chocolate and Cigarettes. It reminds me of you.