Alicia Ostriker

Alicia Ostriker has published eleven volumes of poetry, most recently No Heaven (U. of Pittsburgh Press, 2005), and has twice been a National Book Award finalist. She is also the author of Stealing the Language: The Emergence of Women's Poetry in America (Beacon Press, 1987) and other books of criticism.

Promises

—for Stephen Dunn

I promised myself
said the old woman
that I would always remember
the afternoon I danced naked with him
in his cheesy apartment
on St. Mark's Place

I promised the sun
said the dark red tulip
in the bitter night
broken hearted
abandoned
I'll wait

I promised the man
with my eyes and nose said the dog
half asleep on the couch
that I would love, honor and obey
he promised he would always
stroke my brow like that