Surrounded by Friends

Matthew Rohrer is the author of Destroyer and Preserver (Wave Books, 2011), A Plate of Chicken (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2009), Rise Up (Wave Books, 2007) and A Green Light (Verse Press, 2004), which was shortlisted for the 2005 Griffin Poetry Prize. He is also the author of Satellite (Verse Press, 2001), and co-author, with Joshua Beckman, of Nice Hat. Thanks. (Verse Press, 2002), and the audio CD Adventures While Preaching the Gospel of Beauty. He has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered and The Next Big Thing. His first book, A Hummock in the Malookas was selected for the National Poetry Series by Mary Oliver in 1994. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, and teaches at NYU.

Matthew Rohrer at his best. Humorous, quotidian, urban, and conversational poems about family and friendship.

OneBicyclette Batavus, Fabriqué En Hollande, Ca. 1904Sudden SummerA Little RainThere Is Absolutely Nothing LonelierLe Machine Ate HimselfA Pair Of DucksBrooklyn Is Covered in Little Pieces Of PaperThe World¿s Most Famous PaintingThe Photographs of Allen Ginsberg at the Grey Gallery, NycWhere I LivedThe Garden of BeesIn the Ancient TapestriesAutumn GloryHow To LiveThe AntsBirthday SonnetPavilion of LeavesThe Model Farm Is TherapeuticA Little SignNow That Shirt Is BittersweetThere Is A FlowerHank¿s SaloonFuck the BanksPoem for Edna St. Vincent MillayTwoCrossing Underneath the WaterMother¿s DayBus PassAnemometerBull SharkAnd Now Kids!Dark Inside, Bright Outside, A MagritteA PerfumeShe Stepped OutsideDulcimer and Flute (While Syria Destroys Itself)Across the Country Hurry HomeBad Weather Plan #4Poem for My SisterHe Has a Job, but It¿s a Sad JobIn the ParkPoemShaman from ThailandAt Dante¿s HouseTwo Poems for IssaThe Meditations of Marcus AureliusMagnolia Petals Falling on BricksHello MermenHomage to Attila JózsefVolkswagen RabbitPoem for Virgil BanescuThreePoem Written with BusonPoem Written with BashoPoem Written with BashoPoem Written with BusonPoem Written with BashoPoem Written with IssaPoem Written with IssaPoem Written with IssaPoem Written with IssaPoem Written with BashoPoem Written with BusonPoem Written with BashoPoem Written with IssaPoem Written with BashoFourTranslations from HafizThe Emperor