Back of the hand by Dick Allen

Poems

November 2009

Back of the hand

by Dick Allen

Burke

was right!

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New Criterion

There’s not much of interest here,
lumina, fingernails,
risen veins, joints, tendons,
skin wrinkles,

but when you give me it,
it’s like the slap
of a backhanded compliment,
or a sharp rap

on the knuckles,
and my eyes smart,
bad blood rushes between us,
it becomes evident

there will be no turning
your hand around,
no new grip of friendship,
no open palm,

just that flick of wrist telling me
I shouldn’t complain,
your perfected dismissive gesture
of utter disdain.

Dick Allen's new volume of poems, Present Vanishing, has won the 2009 Connecticut Book Award for Poetry.

Events

November 24 2009

OPEN EVENT: Laura Jacobs reading

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December 02 2009

Friends Event: The Swallow Anthology Reading

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December 17 2009

Friends Event: New Criterion Holiday Party

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Webcasts

New Criterion-Social Affairs Unit Conference: Part 4
"The Criminalization of Making Money" by Lionel Shriver, Recorded 9/25/09

New Criterion-Social Affairs Unit Conference: Part 3
"The State and the Threat to Democracy" by Jeremy Black and "The Paradox of the Intellectual and the Future of Capitalism" by Tim Congdon, Recorded on 9/25/2009

New Criterion-Social Affairs Unit Conference: Part 2
"Nice 'N' Easy: The Age of Micro Tyranny" by Mark Steyn, Recorded on 9/25/2009

Weblog

Integrity 101

by James Bowman

Nov 18, 2009 09:35 PM

The King of Fantasyland

by James Bowman

Nov 16, 2009 05:59 PM

An old dog's new trick

by Michael Weiss

Nov 16, 2009 04:43 PM

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