Love Poem as Ars Poetica

Erica McAlpine

Because I am the dog who thought
her pain was a location, shuffling in
and out of rooms, trying to escape it,
it forever following along,

you stick with me everywhere — not
you, but the idea. We begin
with something big, water, or the wind, thinking we can shape it
before it all goes wrong.

Erica McAlpine is a poet and an Associate Professor of English at Oxford. Her collection of poems, The Country Gambler, was published in 2016.
Originally published:
July 1, 2013

Featured

Searching for Seamus Heaney

What I found when I resolved to read him
Elisa Gonzalez

What Happened When I Began to Speak Welsh

By learning my family's language, I hoped to join their conversation.
Dan Fox

When Does a Divorce Begin?

Most people think of it as failure. For me it was an achievement.
Anahid Nersessian

You Might Also Like



Love Poem

Cecily Parks

New Annie Ernaux, only in print

Our Summer 2026 issue includes an essay by Annie Ernaux, available only to print subscribers. Subscribe by May 11.
Subscribe