KEVIN PRUFER on

Russell Atkins
Lakefront Cleveland

so thunders sea
 
it gathers strength

summoned     ascends     huged up
                       then softs!
curls up about rocks
upcurls about thick
about bold     curls up
about it

then     dangerous ’d soft!
 
sea gathers strength

summoned ASCENDS UPHUGED
                  over whatever’s round
CRASHES !!!!
curls up about rock
upcurls about

at bold abruptly
curls about it
                softs!
dangerous ’d
 
                 so ’oft

                 too soft almost
summoned ASCENDS UPHUGED
CRASHES!!!!

curls up about rock
                softs
furious’d but soft
              too soft    whist
almost
            WHOOM! whamming everywhere
it gathers strength
summoned ascends    huged up
SPLASH about of bold

upcurls about rock

rocks about        impetuous’d!!
curls
      curls up about
                        softs
dangerously
too soft with a
shudder

Kevin Prufer's ninth book of poems, The Fears, is forthcoming from Copper Canyon Press.  His other recent collections are The Art of Fiction (Four Way Books, 2021), How He Loved Them (2018), and Churches (2016).  With Wayne Miller and Martin Rock, Prufer directs The Unsung Masters Series, a book series devoted to bringing new attention to great authors of the past who have been overlooked by contemporary readers.  He's also edited numerous volumes, including Into English: Poems, Translations, Commentaries (Graywolf Press, 2016, with Martha Collins) and New European Poets (Graywolf Press, 2008, with Wayne Miller).  He teaches at The University of Houston's Graduate Program in Creative Writing.