How will anyone get married now, with no wall of water behind them? How will Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel marry Across Niagara Falls on a Tightrope? Over the Falls would have worn a veil, Across the Falls would have tied a tie, hand in hand they would have poured down the aisle to the sound of rustling silks. Later they would narrow to a lovely neck, later they would make a gentle elbow in the water, later they would pour into a still round pool, and dance for three minutes to what they called music. Niagara Falls is a family member. He is drunk for the first time in a hundred years. “I don’t call that music I call that noise,” would have screamed Niagara Falls, right through his aquiline family nose. All of Niagara’s ex-lovers are here. The World’s Steepest Dive stands up and says, “I’ve been diving so long now, and when will I hit? When will you be there for me, Niagara?” First Woman Behind the Falls stands up so everyone can see her, so everyone can see what has happened to her looks.
What do You think about The Best American Poetry 2015?
