Tim Suermondt

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We All Want to Be Recognized

The books on the shelves were stirring,
begging me to read them again, especially

from those I started but never finished—
how little I realized I’d caused such loneliness.

I collected a few and stacked them gently
on the table in my study, moving papers aside,

apologizing to the desk lamp when I thought
I heard it sigh. I decided to put on some coffee

before tackling the pages in earnest, rolling
up my sleeves in metaphorical fashion—

promising only that I would try my best,
make them truly at home for as long as I could.

The State of Too Many Unions

the politicians arrive

the politicians leave

and in between let us hope

they did less damage than feared

this day the sun chose to love

SUERMONDT IN ZURICH

I’m here for the swans, a strange
modern art show, sure not here
to meditate on revolution.
In the book History as Looking
there must be a chapter devoted
to me and my carefree exploits.
By the river in the fall, I walk
over every bridge, boats and those
swans gliding under without a sound.
I sit at cafes closest to the streetcars
and even brush up against shop
windows in the expensive sectors,
my meager investments reminding
me there’s nothing there I should want.
I climb stairs to the park that overlooks
the city and pull out my notebook,
scribbling away as I lean on a stone
wall surrounding a row of trees,
my pencil working quickly, beautifully,
the words greeting me like comrades.

Tim Suermondt’s sixth full-length book of poems A Doughnut and The Great Beauty of the World came out in 2023 from MadHat Press. He has published in Poetry, Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, The Georgia Review, Bellevue Literary Review, Stand Magazine, Smartish Pace, The Fortnightly Review, Poet Lore, and Plume, among many others. He lives in Cambridge (MA) with his wife, the poet Pui Ying Wong.

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