Lucifer at the Starlite Book

I had just recently read my first work of Addonizio's poetry, Tell Me, a book of largely confessional poetry, a kind of howl of love and drunken passion and rage, which I loved. This one is more muted, less personal, and a little less engaging, maybe, but I still liked it a lot. The concept (of a book with Lucifer in the title) reminds me of Sharon Olds's Satan Says. Places of darkness in the world: the Iraqi wars, the Tsunami, divorce. There is intimacy, humor, compassion, and deft observation, too.

Lucifer at the Starlite
'after George Meredith

Here's my bright idea for life on earth:
better management. The CEO
has lost touch with the details. I'm worth
as much, but I care; I come down here, I show
my face, I'm a real regular. A toast:
To our boys and girls in the war, grinding
through sand, to everybody here, our host
who's mostly mist, like methane rising
from retreating ice shelves. Put me in command.
For every town, we'll have a marching band.
For each thoroughbred, a comfortable stable;
for each worker, a place beneath the table.
For every forward step a stumbling.
A shadow over every starlit thing.

Kim Addonizio