FA R E W E L L

M A T E R I A L S

K Y L E H A RV E Y

Copyright © 2015 Kyle Harvey.

All rights reserved.

Cover art copyright © 2015 Jack Mueller.

Design and layout by Kyle Harvey.

FAREWELL MATERIALS

Kyle Harvey

ISBN 978-0-9962170-1-9

for Veronica, Rye, Paige & Lila

F i r s t l i n e s :

A d a g i o, l e t ’s s a y 9

h e a r t - r a w s c r e a m 1 0

b r i t t l e 1 1

S o m e t h i n g o f 1 2

a l e t t i n g 1 3

S t o l e n n u m b e r s 1 4

a h a l f - h e a r t e d 1 5

T h o u g h w h a t 1 6

c l a w 1 7

M e m o r y o f 1 8

& t h o u g h i t ’s g o n e 1 9

A d a g i o, l e t ’s s a y 2 0

t h r e e 2 1

t h r e e 2 2

FA R E W E L L

M A T E R I A L S

Adagio, let’s say

three

slow

beats

or so

per measure

9

10

heart-raw scream

an ocean liner

fishroe & wet feathers

things felt

but unseen

bits of glass

treasured

softened

gently

at the

tumble

11

brittle

petals layered

farewell materials

I’ve slept above

for years

& years

12

Something of

a prayer seven

Hail Mary’s

what

exactly

does grown up mean

anyway

softer/harder

much more

easily swayed

something of

a change

(of) focus

13

a letting

go of

falling stars

burdenhopes

I’ve slept below

for years

& years

14

Stolen numbers

tucked inside

valves

of hope

a black cricket circles the bell

of a yard sale trumpet

walled-in between

& underneath

my days

as night

15

a half-hearted

banjo gambler

singing

softly

to

the moon

as always

heavy lids

I’ve waited on

for years

& years

16

Though what

it might be

tofind & be lifted

to turn

my cheek

to squint

my eyes

towards

the warmth

of the sun

17

claw

my way

up

through

loose gravel

to discover

floweredvalleys

to lay down in

a softer grass

I’ve searched for

for years

& years

18

Memory of

the bull snake

under oak

it wraps

slick cool

whip

around

my leg

the way it felt

long after

19

& though it’s gone

still I try

to shake

loose

its grip

flickaway old truths

still I try

to shed these

dead skins

I’ve lived in

for years

& years

20

Adagio, let’s say

three

slow

beats

or so

per measure

21

three

slow

beats

or so

per measure

22

three

slow

beats

or so

per measure

Kyle Harvey, winner of the Mark Fischer Poetry Prize

and finalist for the Colorado Book Award (Hyacinth,

Lithic Press 2013), is the editor for Fruita Pulp. His work

has recently appeared or is forthcoming in American Life in Poetry, Electric Cereal, Heavy Feather Review, Houseguest, Metatron, New Bile, Ossuary Whispers, Pilgrimage, Pith, Reality Hands, SHAMPOO, THINK Journal, and The Wallace Stevens Journal. His new serial poem July was recently

published by Lithic Press. You can follow him at Twitter.

com/kyleharveypoem.