{"id":17478,"date":"2024-09-23T13:39:21","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T18:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=17478"},"modified":"2024-09-30T10:40:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T15:40:39","slug":"from-the-back-of-the-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2024\/09\/23\/from-the-back-of-the-room\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Back of the Room"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>From the Back of the Room<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Mary Buchinger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 11<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It\u2019s the Dolphin standing on his tail<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">waving his flippers. \u201cAssessment\u201d says<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">this pet\u2014\u201cThis is our task for this year!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Oh the ball of unreality, how it lights<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">on his nose, and rises like an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The floor, so slippery, gives way to shiny!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Shiny! Shiny new! Obladee!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">going. online. online. online. online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">online. no space. no. no space. space<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">is all we are. bodies in space. breathing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">the company air. teaching is training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">is a football we can squeeze into waves<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">send across the internet. catch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">oh virtual student. catch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">do you read me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 73<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Penguin Man is next,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">clipboard tucked under&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">the ineffective wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He shifts from foot<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">to foot, beneath&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">the creamy acoustic-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">tiled sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It\u2019s a review of my life<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">and I\u2019m falling asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Points of arguments,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">little knots I climb on,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">like a sacred childhood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">hanging, as on a pendulum<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">from some undisclosed center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 104<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">She rises, curl of bean,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">cotyledon curves up&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">from the pod of her hips,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">hips draped with a lively&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">green and gold ruffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Oh the spread, the great<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">terrible spread, years<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">swelling our cells.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 125<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Her mouth of watermelon seeds,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">blossoms splay above the knee,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">blue-lined eyes and silvered toes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Quick, guess her discipline!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">And another in this hall of women:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Tan and gauzy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">a flower petal&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">weighted down&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">with a caramel wasp<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">what but speaks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">humanities\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">possibly<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Victorian<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 156<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">How many apples in the air?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I only can hear the words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">but it\u2019s all movement,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">drumming and disturbance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">All this talk. I\u2019m limbs and pores,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">paper cuts and calluses. Catch me,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">all the bits of me, someone,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">someone, in your sunbeam, plz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Faculty Meeting No. 777<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>Under the dome<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>in the tent<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">on this hard table<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">of satellites&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">stars swinging&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">off the way<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">carve a dusty&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">cloud in shadows<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>We can\u2019t<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>anticipate&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>Everything<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>Nor should we.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marybuchinger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Mary Buchinger<\/strong><\/a>, whose recent books include <em>The Book of Shores<\/em> (2024) and <em>Virology<\/em> (2022) both from Lily Poetry Review Books, and <em>Navigating the Reach <\/em>(Salmon Poetry, 2023; longlisted for the Massachusetts Book Award), teaches at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. Her poetry appears in <em>AGNI, Gargoyle, Laurel Review, Lincoln Review, Nimrod, On the Seawall, Plume, Salt Hill, Seneca Review, South Dakota Review, Sugar House Review, Queen Mob\u2019s Teahouse, <\/em>and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">\ud83e\udca0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2024\/09\/23\/slingshot-factory\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2024\/09\/23\/why-hawks-make-bad-bosses\/\">Next<\/a> \ud83e\udca1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the Back of the Room Mary Buchinger __________ Faculty Meeting No. 11 It\u2019s the Dolphin standing on his tail waving his flippers. \u201cAssessment\u201d says this pet\u2014\u201cThis is our task for this year!\u201d Oh the ball of unreality, how it lights on his nose, and rises like an example. The floor, so slippery, gives way&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[218],"tags":[75,145],"class_list":["post-17478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-workplace-wounds-and-woes","tag-boudin","tag-poetry-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17478"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17631,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17478\/revisions\/17631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}