Culture & Media
Vocation of the Chair

Vocation of the Chair
It longs to be the one
who holds you, keeps you
from falling, its curved legs
shapely as a bride.
The chair that would be saint.
martyr, acolyte. Your little
sins of omission and false pride
cannot sway it — the chair believes
in you. It grows taller in the dark.
Soon it will fill the room,
its cushion of praise all you need
in the crude and faithless light.
Laurel Ann Bogen is the author of 10 books of poetry and short fiction. In 2016, Red Hen Press will publish All of the Above: New and Selected Poems 1975-2015. From 1996 until 2002 she was literary curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She is an award-winning instructor of poetry and performance for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and is well-known for her lively readings and her work as a founding member of the acclaimed poetry performance troupe, Nearly Fatal Women. Her work has appeared in more than 100 literary magazines and anthologies.

-
Latest NewsSeptember 24, 2025
Too Old to Keep Working, Not Enough Money to Stop
-
Latest NewsOctober 14, 2025
People in ICE Custody Face Invasive Strip Searches After Visits With Loved Ones
-
The SlickSeptember 22, 2025
New Mexico Governor Puts Finger on Scale in Oilfield Wastewater Vote
-
Column - State of InequalityOctober 9, 2025
California Joins New York in Trying to Fill a Void on Worker Protections
-
Column - State of InequalitySeptember 25, 2025
When Workers Unite, Even Disney Has to Listen
-
Latest NewsSeptember 23, 2025
ICE Is Transferring People in Its Custody Away From Family, Lawyers
-
Latest NewsSeptember 26, 2025
Assault on Accessibility Initiatives Hits Early Career Scientists Hard
-
The SlickSeptember 29, 2025
Is the Sun Setting on Pennsylvania’s Solar Future?