Peter Burzynski

Pennyweighting

11/4/2015

I sing September brokenhearted. It’s not
that I was in love. I forgot about love.

I was in hope (for the longest time). I hoped
that the sky would crumble chrysanthemums

into my hands. I would take each piece of emerald,
make them into a crown of teeth to rest

upon and devour my head. I built a scepter
of paper and took it in hand. I waved it

starboard, shaking silver out of shivers. I hoped
that I could mend the growing sounds of failure.

I built my bible. Encrusted it, set it aflame.
I used to hope for love. But that was oh so

long ago. Now I hope for treasure. I gave/
bought into pleasure, gilded my name.

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Peter Burzynski

Peter is a third-year PhD student in and Graduate Assistant Coordinator of Creative Writing-Poetry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a M.F.A. in Poetry from The New School University, and a M.A. in Polish Literature from Columbia University.
In between studies, he has worked as a chef in New York City and Milwaukee. In addition, he works as a Teaching Assistant and an occasional adjunct. He is also an Assistant Editor for the cream city review. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming from The Best American Poetry Blog, Thin Air, Prick of the Spindle, Working Stiff, Thrush Poetry Review, Your Impossible Voice, RHINO, and Forklift Ohio, amongst others.