Genderless & Savagely Patient

Starkweather’s fine line

Makes it into the New York Times,

From his poem suggesting tenderness

In the relentless attentions

Of collection agencies.

Can’t say those voices

Have ever seemed genderless

To this poetry collection collector.

They’re always distinctively binary, but

Savagely patient? Beautiful, yes.

Every stalker, every predator,

Every being who’s continued living

Depends on hunting’s occasional success,

Develops that combination,

From the house-cat in the long grass

To the spider or the military sniper—

If you can imagine it as tenderness,

Such intensive attention in your direction,

And that helps you stay out of its grasp,

Then yes, but don’t let yourself get

Frozen by a golden, hungry glance.

Attention is tenderness for the intent

On getting something to keep going.

That’s why giving debt collection

Over to the nearly infinite patiences

Of machines ends up collecting less.

Machines don’t starve for lack of success.

Lions can. Humans can. You can

Call it tenderness, since you also sense

That savageness. But do not, ever, rest.