By Franz Wright
Think of a sheep
knitting a sweater;
think of your life
getting better and better.
Think of your cat
asleep in a tree;
think of that spot
where you once skinned your knee.
Think of a bird
that stands in your palm.
Try to remember
the Twenty-first Psalm.
Think of a big pink horse
galloping south;
think of a fly, and
close your mouth.
If you feel thirsty, then
drink from your cup.
The birds will keep singing
until they wake up.
“Auto-Lullaby” is reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.
Source: Poetry (September 2013)
Poet Bio
Franz Wright was born in Vienna, Austria and grew up in the Northwest, the Midwest, and California. His father was the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet James Wright. He has taught at Emerson College and other universities, has worked in mental health clinics, and has volunteered at a center for grieving children. In his precisely crafted, lyrical poems, Wright addresses the subjects of isolation, illness, spirituality, and gratitude.
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