Dorsal plate gone awry atop the hallux of my left foot, the one red with embarrassment, that’s right, you, you who serve no purpose, like a wisdom tooth turned inward, or the coccyx, that vestigial tail, claw of keratin curled into the pulp of my big toe, waking me with that familiar dull ache, correct yourself, acquire a sliver of virtue instead of invading your host as if that would make you necessary once again.
TO A TOENAIL
Michael Gessner has authored eleven books of poetry and prose. In 2017, the Poetry Foundation selected pieces from his most recent book, Selected Poems (FutureCycle Press, 2016), for its online archive. His work has been published in Innisfree Poetry Journal, the Kenyon Review, and New Oxford Review, among others. His reviews appear regularly in, and he is a voting member of, the National Book Critics Circle.
Such sharpness against his toenail!—what a great wit this poet has