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After retiring from Brandeis University, Karen Klein turned her creative energies first to making ink drawings, then wood sculptures. She continued a daily haiku practice begun in the mid 1990’s, then moved to contemporary lyric. She has been published online and in print journals, including Ibbetson Street, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Literary Review, Five Fleas, SLANT, and Critical Inquiry. Resuming her dance practice, she founded teXtmoVes, a poetry/dance collaborative in 2016 with performances in local libraries, art galleries, concert venues in the greater Boston area. Her first full-length poetry book, This Close, was published by Ibbetson Street Press (2022). Her chapbook, Embodied, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press.

Rowing

Karen Klein

Water resistance unseen below
first struggles against oars’ thrust
then relaxes   relents to allow boat’s
forward motion 
vertically linked backs of the crew
spine of the shell’s body
each vertebra another rower
of the oars
their power thrusts’
rhythmic circle
dip    pull back     skim the surface
dip again
to pull
to skim.

Musculature of the men’s backs
as scapulae separate        pull apart
squeeze together       only
to release     to repeat
skin over shoulder blades strains
to follow the pattern.

Arms sweep to curve
into elbows pulling  back hard
as oars move against water
biceps tighten   rise
 swift release to repeat.

Voyeurs view the contest
many shell bodies
gathering
surging  together

bodies race
to their orgasmic finish.

 — Karen Klein  7/2024

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Doug Holder, 25 School St.; Somerville, MA 02143
dougholder@post.harvard.edu