In the sweetness of the mountain pass, the severity of lines.
Thick saguaros, stabs of gold to the east and west of me.
Even so, nerves quelled by a dry wind.
Truth is, I’m just two brushstrokes—no more, no lesser.
Even without a center, I can sense forces urging
my life back inside invisible coordinates.
The root of forgetting is the constant
rebuilding of the interior.
Is an exhausted sun licking the land clean.
Forgive me—
I grow sleepless in August.
Answering to a whistle even I can’t hear.
Tell me again about the arrogance of the restless.
When is it enough—staying still?
Absorbing the echoing of tenses?
Jenny Xie is the author of Eye Level, a finalist for the National Book Award, and The Rupture Tense. She lives in New York City.
"Present Continuous" is from The Rupture Tense (Graywolf Press, 2022) and was first published in Ambit. The author grants permission.
Jenny Xie’s latest book is The Rupture Tense. Visit with her and her work at the Miami Book Fair 2022. Cover art by: Mirta Dermisache.
Welcome to SWWIM Every Day’s preview coverage of Miami Book Fair (MBF) 2021! The poets whose work you’ll be reading every weekday from October 25 through November 12 are just a few of the many authors from around the world participating in this year’s MBF, the nation’s largest gathering of writers and readers of all ages. They all look forward to sharing their work, thoughts, and ideas both in person and online. Between November 14 and November 21, new poet conversations and readings will be launched and available for free on miamibookfaironline.com (in addition to other content). For more information, visit the website and follow MBF on Instagram and Twitter at @miamibookfair and use the hashtag #miamibookfair2021.