The problem with beauty is that it convinces me of achievement

Really it’s just that time has passed, what was green
Is now orange
This poem compares the seasons

 

And philosophizes beauty in the form of strands
I think I owe my boss a hello
I think I owe him a turkey sandwich

 

First I’ll dive into excel
Where the cells welcome my touch
I check the boxes, it’s classic, it’s plain

 

Life really does make people into poets
Kind of pervy not to be a poet or artist if you think about it
Standing around drinking but what will you make of it?

 

The contradictions of my life ward off robotic becoming
I think they’re worth it
Let’s at least agree that being turned into a marble statue

 

Is the goal of our labors
I make some interesting progress and follow up
Thanks for your email, now you can sign off my child

 

But be careful not to lubricate the truth
Let beauty commute you

 

Ariel Yelen

Ariel Yelen is the author of the poetry collection I Was Working (Fall 2024), selected by Rowan Ricardo Phillips for the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets. Her poems have been published in BOMB, The American Poetry Review, The Brooklyn Rail, and elsewhere. She lives and works in New York City.