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Poets are Present: Andrew Jarvis
Poets are Present is a poetry residency in conjunction with David Ives’s adaptation of The Metromaniacs. As part of this unique theatre/poetry exchange, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is proud to host more than 30 D.C.-area poets in the theatre’s lobby. Throughout the run, we will share with you the poems that this residency inspired our guests to write. Visit our Poets are Present page to see a list of upcoming poets.
Andrew Jarvis is the author of Choreography, Sound Points, Ascent, and The Strait. His poems have appeared in Valparaiso Poetry Review, Tulane Review, San Pedro River Review, and many other literary magazines. He was a Finalist for the 2014 Homebound Publications Poetry Prize. Andrew holds an M.A. in Writing (Poetry) from Johns Hopkins University.
Treading Planks
Consider the floorboards,
cedar planks withstanding
the feet of forefathers.
Seaweed and silica,
formica and sandstone,
they battered their labor.
From heels to toe-tips,
boards wore away walkings
and trapped their treads of work.
And here they are, planted,
like craters in moonlight;
they reflect their movement.
In broken and splintered
sawdust and iron ore;
now this was heavy work.
And I will walk with them,
step into tomorrow,
grounding myself in souls.
By Andrew Jarvis
