The Sunday Poem: “I’d rather be influenced” by Patrick Ramsay

Patrick Ramsay

I’d rather be influenced

to send more postcards.
To kiss with more tongue
and let cantaloupe juice
run all the way down
to my elbows. I’d rather
be influenced to cook
more quiche and make cold brew
at home. To wake up early and stay
in bed. To be better at remembering
my friends’ birthdays.
To vote early. I want an algorithm
that worships heirloom tomatoes.
The sound of that one summer
cricket outside my window.
Peach sorbet with tiny spoons.
The way the mountains go copper at dusk.
The chatter of your dog laughing
in a dream across the room.

Reprinted with permission.