[I married]

By Lorine Niedecker
I married

in the world’s black night
for warmth
                  if not repose.
                  At the close—
someone.

I hid with him
from the long range guns.
                  We lay leg
                  in the cupboard, head
in closet.

A slit of light
at no bird dawn—
                  Untaught
                  I thought
he drank

too much.
I say
                  I married
                  and lived unburied.
I thought—

Copyright Credit: Lorine Niedecker, “[I married]” from Collected Works, edited by Jenny Penberthy, Copyright © 2002 Regents of the University of California. Published by University of California Press.
Source: Collected Works (University of California Press, 2002)