Countrymen

Do Not Open, 2003. [Photo by Keith Johnson]

We are a peaceful nation.

Our planes are filled with strawberries
headed for Japan.

The continent is on the move,
shaking its hips, grinding the perreo.

California will crash into Alaska
                              in fifty million years.

This is a science like any other,
               how we bend ourselves

to the line of action, making
adjustments
                              in the angle of our commerce.

We are waiting for
               the Arctic Ocean to open.

Our submarines travel quietly
beneath the ice.

“Countrymen” appears in the chapbook A Guide to the Northwest Territory, published by Miel Books in September. The poem was first published in Bateau in 2009.

Share This Story

LOG IN TO POST A COMMENT
Don't have an account? Create an account. Forgot your password? Click here.

|

Share This Story

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Josh Wallaert is the associate editor of Places. He lives in San Francisco.
More Bio >>

DESIGN OBSERVER JOBS

MORE BY Josh Wallaert

05.09.13: Temple of the Vanities
11.08.12: State of the Commons
01.26.12: If There Be Such Space
04.11.11: Public Library: An American Commons
03.22.11: Google Maps, Give Us Our River Names
More by Josh Wallaert >>

Building Hyperdensity and Civic Delight
On Places, Vishaan Chakrabarti argues that the hyperdense city is more prosperous, equitable, ecological and delightful — and vital to America's strength as a nation.

Roads to Rails
On Places, Eric W. Sanderson lays out his plan for a modern streetcar revival, supported by municipal investment in urban rail.

An Interview with David Burney: On New York and the 21st-Century City-State
On Places, an interview with New York City Design and Construction Commissioner David Burney, who reflects on the urban design record of the Bloomberg years, the post-Sandy recovery effort, and the rise of the 21st-century city-state.

Motor City Breakdown
On Places, Jerry Herron looks at the troubled portrait of Detroit — and its spectacular decline — in recent books and films.

Head of the Dragon: The Rise of New Shanghai
On Places, Daniel recounts the fast-forward and often ruthless reinvention of Shanghai — its transformation from moth-balled relic of Maoism to one of the world's most dynamic and contradictory cities.

Places

Departments

Topics

Design Observer

Poem: Josh Wallaert

Countrymen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DESIGN OBSERVER JOBS

MORE BY Josh Wallaert

RELATED POSTS