over generalized
                                                      particularity

fly as it might
        the mind never reaches
                the verge of sky

                                                        I’d pound my flat hand

                                                                 this     this   
                                                                                           this

                            of consciousness
                                   speed is only one virtue

               Cat curled
               to purring
         unrolled to curve
    paws floating in sleep

                                    overprized
                                    materiality

                                                     flight from
                                                            self
                                                     from silence

Note: This poem is from an unpublished manuscript called The Sea Helps Build the Raft, where each is a kind of “spin-off” from a line or phrase I’ve gleaned from all kinds of sources. The title of this poem was inspired by work from e. e. cummings.

Edward A. Dougherty is author of 11 poetry collections, the most recent being 10048, named for the zip code of the World Trade Center. His latest book Journey Work: Crafting a Life of Poetry & Spirit includes 18 essays about ripening as a poet, spiritual seeking, and peacemaking as a volunteer in Hiroshima. Granted the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities, Dougherty lives in upstate NY, near the convergence of three rivers.