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  • The Paris Review

    Poetry Rx: The Fucking Reticence

    by Kaveh Akbar Sep 26, 2019 5 minutes

    In our column Poetry Rx, readers write in with a specific emotion, and our resident poets—Sarah Kay, Kaveh Akbar, and Claire Schwartz—take turns prescribing the perfect poems to match. This month, Kaveh Akbar is on the line.

    © Ellis Rosen

    Dear Poets,

    I am at a point in my life where I have very little structure, where every day is full of small decisions and every move feels like a long shot. I am in the process of beating an addiction (I hope), but this means that I am fully sober, grounded, and often a very raw kind of awake for every long minute of the day, however brilliant, brutal, or just plain boring it is. Do you have a poem that could quiet my mind or offer me clarity?

    Thanks,

    Actively Awake

    Dear AA,

    I remember so clearlya poem and somehow make four or six or eight hours just fly by.

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    Acknowledges
    The Plimpton Circle is a remarkable group of individuals and organizations whose annual contributions of $2,500 or more help advance the work of The Paris Review Foundation. The Foundation gratefully acknowledges: 1919 Investment Counsel • Gale Arnol

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