Matthew Weisser

Matthew Weisser is a high school mathematics teacher in Union County, NJ. When he’s not teaching multivariable calculus, he is putting all remaining time into creative arts. Playing multiple instruments in multiple bands, performing standup comedy, reciting his poetry – no matter what, his favorite place to be is on stage. He has been featured in the Platform Review -including the most recent print of Platform Review 3. 

White Sundress (POEM)

One tree, two trees, three trees;

I count the trees.

One million flowers, two million flowers, three million flowers;

Infer what you will.

It is my first time here but it is not my first time here – the latter of course being far, 

far more important. 

Lay down, take my shoes off, take my feet off and my legs off and eventually the rest

of me may just come off too. 

Let’s take a walk.

Let’s walk through greens and whites and pinks and purples.

Let’s walk where it’s damp and where it’s dry.

Let’s walk until we can’t tell the bottoms of our feet from the dirt we tread through. 

Eyes lit up by shade and hands made warm by shadowed groves.

Ears open to the sounds to take in but what do we listen to?

Each other

Slowly

Sweetly 

What’s the rush, oh what’s the rush?

That innocuous action of standing up and getting ready to ready yourself again for the world. 

The road back to where we started is much shorter now.

We’ve seen it – I wonder when we’ll see it next and if it will be shorter still.

The sundials of the past whisper, “it is time to go,” but I am so lucky there are no sundials 

or grandfather clocks

or digital watches

or train station ticker boards telling us what to do.

The sky turns an orangey-mauve;

I feel like I can make up colors and find them wherever I look today.