Paula Brancato
Winter 2024 | Poetry
Two Poems
The World of a Married Woman – Autumn, 2007
A-Rod, Big Papi, shark week, giant squid on the TV,
Needle and Hail Mary Passes, 24/7 ESPN Sports,
Hurricanes other than storms,
gone is my poodle, in is their St. Bernard, the A/C a chilly 65,
bacon onion cheeseburgers, barbecue ribs and fries,
cutlery, inside my sofa, plates that turn to sculptures overnight,
Nike Shox, Starberry’s, Playstation 2025,
maddening Madden, air hockey games,
X Box, Stratomatic, rock and roll from 1969,
leather jackets, Ferraris, Mercedes SUVs, Fiats
in basic black, blue delphiniums delivered, husband and gift card
attached, socks walking up to the laundry, dishes stacked
to the skies, kisses, arguments, bites, wails, cries, double
baths and unmade beds that rock for days and days….
Englishman
Paula Steve Steve Paula hi Paula this is Steve this is the hint
of Steve his name a newfound quarter
plucked from asphalt dropped in a tin of dimes
he opens a northeast window hangs his head out
to smoke while she clasps him
from behind
but that was before he knew
her dainty wrists her trim white lips
before he stroked the sweat on her lioness back
as she straddled him as he held her from behind yes behind
crooning honey angel darlin' sweetheart
sweetfeet me-duck pet
petal dearheart old thing old tart cutie dumpling
baby bay-abe! ah you whoever you are I would crush my life for you
I would gladly drink your wine
Paula Brancato is a 2nd generation Sicilian-American poet and filmmaker. One of the first women on Wall Street and a McKinsey consultant and planner for the World Bank, Paula also serves as CEO of her own financial firm, adding to her unique creative voice. Her literary awards include Booth Poetry Prize, Danahy Fiction Prize and Brushfire Poet Award. Her work has appeared in The Southern Review, Kenyon Review, Mudfish, Bomb Magazine, Virginia Quarterly, Ambit Magazine, Georgetown Review, Litchfield Review and Southern California Anthology. Paula taught poetry and screenwriting at USC, Stonybrook Southampton and HCNYC. She’s a graduate of Harvard Business School, Hunter College, LA Film School and the Granta Writers’ Workshop.