PERFECTION
by Candace Butler
they went in search of purity
they commonly party several hours each morning
day and night
they battle weakness, confusion, and despair.
their sweet human absurdity
reached the North Pole
they must adapt to limitations
they must adapt to compromise
every move can carry eighteen years’ preparation
why not feel a little
SOURCE: “Perfection” by Candace Butler is based on page 41 Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters by Annie Dillard (HarperPerennial, 1982).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Candace Butler is a writer and artist living in her hometown of Sugar Grove, Virginia, a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. She is an MFA candidate at Antioch University of Los Angeles and is co-poetry editor of Lunch Ticket.
Silver Birch Press 