I'd Rather Be Influenced
by Patrick Ramsay
to send more postcards.
To kiss with more tongue
and let cantaloupe juice
run all the way down
to my elbows. I’d rather
be influenced to cook
more quiche and make cold brew
at home. To wake up early and stay
in bed. To be better at remembering
my friends’ birthdays.
To vote early. I want an algorithm
that worships heirloom tomatoes.
The sound of that one summer
cricket outside my window.
Peach sorbet with tiny spoons.
The way the mountains go copper at dusk.
The chatter of your dog laughing
in a dream across the room.
​
​
​
Share:
First published in Gwarlingo, The Sunday Poem.
This poem marked the beginning of a new season in my writing. It emerged when I felt like I was finally settling into my life in Utah after years away. More importantly, I was settling into my own voice as a poet. I was slowing down. Whispering instead of yawping. I was making the case for a slower life, one where influencers focus their attention on unsellable glimmers of life beyond the algorithm. James Crews featured it as The Sunday Poem on Gwarlingo and it went viral. Funny enough: many folks sharing it online were the influencer-type who inspired it.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
PATRICK RAMSAY is a queer poet & owner of the indie shop Happy Magpie Book & Quill. He explores land, community & heart in Ogden, Utah. patrickramsaypoet.com