TELL ME
You are gone now, truly
and to look you up in the dictionary
is no longer possible or

enough. The new season’s arrow
cleaves the maudlin
right out of the air, stays

the wavering knife. Better off
without you, say the crickets, say
the Christmas tree lights

which each night make a party
out of the darkness, tell me
which green porch is home.

— Maggie Nelson

Continue celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month along with the changing of the season with the latest Poetry in Motion poster featuring “Tell Me,” written by Maggie Nelson (text above). Part of Metro’s long-standing partnership with the Poetry Society of America, Poetry in Motion/LA places poems directly in the path of more than one million Metro bus riders daily.

More than 100 thought-provoking works, some printed in both English and Spanish, have been presented since the program’s inception. Poems are selected by the Poetry Society of America, which chooses recognized works that are relatively short, upbeat and representative of the diverse demography of the Los Angeles area.

For more information about the Poetry Society of America and the national Poetry in Motion® program, visit http://www.poetrysociety.org.

Click here for more information about Metro’s art program, including our popular docent-led art tours and cultural programming. You can also follow Metro Art on Facebook and Instagram.