Dia Publications Spotlight: Bobby Byrd, “Readings in Contemporary Poetry”

In honor of National Poetry Month, each week we present a poem from our Readings in Contemporary Poetry: An Anthology, edited by Vincent Katz, long-time curator of the eponymous series. This week features Bobby Byrd’s “Pomegranates” (1984). For more poetry programs at Dia, check out our next event in the series, Tribute to John Godfrey on Tuesday, April 20, 6 pm.

Pomegranates
By Bobby Byrd

Mohammed (May God grant him peace)
said to eat the pomegranates.
Eat them.

Eat the luscious seeds
from the pretty purple pod
lovely, love like a flower,

love like hummingbirds and bees,

lovely, and will we
lose our envy,
lose our hate?

A man for a woman?
A woman for a man?
Surely not. Of course not.

But let’s eat them anyway
         Let’s eat the luscious seeds
from the pretty purple pod.

Let’s eat them.
Let’s eat them.
Let’s eat them.