The Carrying. Ada Limón

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      ALSO BY ADA LIMÓN

       Lucky Wreck

       This Big Fake World

       Sharks in the Rivers

       Bright Dead Things

      © 2018, Text by Ada Limón

      All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher: Milkweed Editions, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.

      [phone]

       milkweed.org

      Published 2018 by Milkweed Editions

      Printed in Canada

      Cover design by Mary Austin Speaker

      Cover art by Stacia Brady

      Author photo by Lucas Marquardt

      18 19 20 21 22 5 4 3 2 1

       First Edition

      Milkweed Editions, an independent nonprofit publisher, gratefully acknowledges sustaining support from the Jerome Foundation; the Lindquist & Vennum Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Target Foundation; and other generous contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Also, this activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from Wells Fargo. For a full listing of Milkweed Editions supporters, please visit milkweed.org.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

       Names: Limón, Ada, author.

       Title: The carrying: poems / Ada Limón.

       Description: First edition. | Minneapolis, Minnesota: Milkweed Editions, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references.

       Identifiers: LCCN 2017061361 (print) | LCCN 2018002212 (ebook) | ISBN 9781571319944 (ebook) | ISBN 9781571315120 (hardcover: acid-free paper)

       Classification: LCC PS3612.I496 (ebook) | LCC PS3612.I496 A6 2018 (print) | DDC 811/.6--dc23

       LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017061361

      Milkweed Editions is committed to ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book production practices with this principle, and to reduce the impact of our operations in the environment. We are a member of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s endangered forests and conserve natural resources. The Carrying was printed on acid-free 100% postconsumer-waste paper by Friesens Corporation.

      For Lucas & Lily Bean

      CONTENTS

        Title Page

        Copyright

        Dedication

       1.

      1  A Name

      2  Ancestors

      3  How Most of the Dreams Go

      4  The Leash

      5  Almost Forty

      6  Trying

      7  On a Pink Moon

      8  The Raincoat

      9  The Vulture & the Body

      10  American Pharoah

      11  Dandelion Insomnia

      12  Dream of the Raven

      13  The Visitor

      14  Late Summer after a Panic Attack

      15  Bust

      16  Dead Stars

      17  Dream of Destruction

      18  Prey

       2.

      1  The Burying Beetle

      2  How We Are Made

      3  The Light the Living See

      4  The Dead Boy

      5  What I Want to Remember

      6  Overpass

      7  The Millionth Dream of Your Return

      8  Bald Eagles in a Field

      9  I’m Sure about Magic

      10