Daniel Rortvedt, OTD, OTR/L
Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy
2024
Poem
For John
What’s built around us is affordance. A
state of matter. An ice cube before it’s frozen.
A mitral valve blushing into the left ventricle alongside
the Allegheny River roiling over at breakneck speed.
Can you fathom the distance between somewhere else and here
through the revolving doors of his four-chambered heart? Guernsey cows
lying down in the field bringing on the evening rain. Rain
overrunning the roof of the farmhouse, overflowing the downspout.
“Ruminating” reminding you of “marinating” reminding
you of “steeps” reminding you of “situated” reminding you of “circumstance”.
He’d never been to Pittsburgh. He’d never
been to Pittsburgh (breaking into song now):
his first heart the four chambers of it fishing in circles
his first heart the four chambers of it becoming
these four chambers
his first heart the four chambers in perpetuity, swaying