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Pantoum: Notes on Summer, 2025
Holding close those we hold dear, we watch
for storms that come and come,
looking for signal fires
on the banks of the James.
And the storms do just come and come:
rumblings in the city’s heart, a fear
over the banks of the James
running high in his muddy bed
rumbling through the city’s heart, fear
of being swallowed by something bigger and darker;
Run, hide, we tell ourselves in dark mirrors,
the better not to see. Look, we say,
swallowing something bigger and darker,
we’ve got these lives to lead:
it’s better not to see. They say
the world is on fire, every channel another disaster,
we’ve got lives to lead
and a kid could get caught crossing the street,
their world set on fire, every clock’s tick another disaster,
no slowing, no end to the horizon.
A man could get shot just crossing the street,
and who’s not struggling these days? But
there’s no slowing; we lift our eyes up to the horizon
though the sirens come and come—
After all, who’s not struggling these days?
On the banks of the James, signal fires:
the sirens come and come.
We hold close those we hold dear.
About the poem: This poem is a pantoum, which as a form has its origins in 15th century Malaysia. Consisting of quatrains (4-line stanzas) in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated in the first and third lines of the following stanza, the form has a “two steps forward, one step back” type-feel, which is why it seemed to fit this piece. It echoes the sense of hesitant determination (back-to school, growth of business and infrastructure) mixed with anxiety (over the state of the world, and of local violence) that I have noted a lot of in my day-to-day recently (which maybe says more about my perspective as a business owner and writer in Richmond’s Manchester neighborhood than it does about anything else!).
If you’re a stickler, you’ll note I have taken liberties with the strict repetition of lines and have disregarded any attempt at rhyme (which traditional pantoums have). There’s room for creative variation, even within form!
Learn more about Joanna’s work on her website or on Instagram (@la_poetessa) and stay tuned for more content from our Poet Laureate.
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