These twenty poems and twenty paintings represent Scott Poole’s 11th book of poetry and his seventh collaboration of poetry and art.

I TAKE CURTAINS EVERYWHERE

At first glance I appear to be a man

who’s stolen a section of pipe and drape

from a boring conference,

walked it across the street

and placed it strategically

on the oceanfront promenade.

But no, I privately own these curtains—

it’s just what I do to be more present

wherever I am. I tried the method of sitting, and

staring, and listening, and smelling,

and feeling, and tasting, and focusing on…

whatever. It wasn’t working.

But with curtains, presentation equals presence.

Many random people sit with me. Sometimes

I’ll set out chairs and a tip bucket.

Children tend to dance in front.

Mimes, the stoned, and stoned mimes can’t resist.

Sometimes buskers strum us into a sing-along.

A tree might fall over. Anything is allowed.

I don’t make the rules for the show—

I just own the curtains.