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The Next Country by Idra Novey
Winner of the 2005 PSA Chapbook Fellowship
The Next Country by Idra Novey, selected and introduced by Carolyn Forche.
Edition: 500 copies of the winning books were printed by the Prolific Group and designed by Gabriele Wilson.
$8.00
After falsely accused
of dishonesty, a man
may slip into a hallway
and stroke the husk of curtain,
over the closest window,
the sloping musty fringe of it.
If there's no curtain,
he may stroke the glass.
If it lacks a window,
he may lean into the wall
and imagine one, crawl out of it
onto a small boat
in a covert pond. Rowing across,
he may rub the injunction
like a stone in his palm, consider
tossing it waterward,
or surrender, let it settle
in his pocket, caustic
and awkward. As he accepts
its weight, he may grow
dishonest, begin
a life of clambering
onto boats, pants sagging
with every manner of stone.
All rights reserved. Reprinted with the permission of the author.
