Poem of the Week--Liars, Ryan Mattern

We've said so much about the illustrious Mr. Mattern, one of our earliest contributors and who can write both a vivid scene and a sharp stanza. Somehow, this poem reminds of us of the end of the school year, which we gratefully experienced yesterday, and....bookstores.

Also, yesterday, we found a new place to hawk (ha ha) Toucans--The Bookcellar in Chicago's Lincoln Square, 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue. It is a gracious, gorgeous venue, with delicious corned beef sandwiches, scrumptious salads, and all the books you could possibly want, complete with recommendations by staff. They also have an Editrice Liz-approved selection of music--on recent visits there was a steady diet of Beatles, Smiths, and Zeppelin in the background. And, if you're old enough to drink, which still needs to happen for one of our staff members (Liz....), they do serve alcohol. Imagine! Now you can read Hemingway and Highsmith in the condition they wrote (please don't, though, it's a bookstore, not a bar). Confine "ordering another round" to this poem here, and Happy Summer!

liars

by Ryan Mattern


and we’ll order another round
talk like we’re the first to have this conversation
laugh like the world around us doesn’t bother us
then list the reasons why it does
bother us.
we’re solving the universe’s problems
with our playlists and record collections
with our books and regurgitated lectures.
and we’re telling the best stories we know
as if they were our own.
unfolding dynamics and heroics
from flat white paper.
then following the creases
shaping them back into something concise
small enough
to fit in our hearts
where we’ll keep them until we die
like its something to us
like it matters.