JONATHAN GREENHAUSE

A four-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, Jonathan Greenhause was longlisted for last year’s National Poetry Competition by The Poetry Society and was a finalist for the 2015 Aesthetica Creative Writing Award. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The Believer, The Dark Horse, Folio, The Moth, Popshot, RATTLE, RHINO, and Stand, among others.
Our Recurring List of Heartbreaks
I gave birth to a napkin but it was ripped apart.
I gave birth to a giraffe but our ceilings weren’t high enough.
I gave birth to a jigsaw puzzle missing several pieces.
I gave birth to a Caribbean cruise without the flight to port.
I gave birth to a snowstorm in the middle of July.
I gave birth to a dog but we’re allowed no pets.
I gave birth to a mansion right before its demolition.
I gave birth to a President of the United States but disliked her politics.
I gave birth to a flower but was allergic to bees.
I gave birth to a black hole & was poised at its event horizon.
I gave birth to a mistake & couldn’t undo what would be our undoing.
I gave birth to a religion but without renouncing my present faith.
I gave birth to a pair of shoes that fit neither one of us.
I gave birth to a future incompatible with our history.
I gave birth to a funeral before we decided on a name.
©2016 Jonathan Greenhause
Author Links
'Fire Flowers': poem by Jonathan Greenhause at Rattle
Interview with Jonathan Greenhause at Fjords Review
Interview with Jonathan Greenhause at Pine Hills Review
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