The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Poetry Break, 12/3/07

[BlueIris]

"A Friendship Enters Phase II"

We were sitting on the porch
after dinner, grown-ups taking
stock, no chance of our stopping:

we were going to stay up all night.
"We're going to stay up all night,"
one of us said, and you lit another cigarette

with a lazy flair,
like we'd just been in bed,
but our love was pure; I'd never

talked like that to anyone before.
Two fathers, one husband,
three would-be lovers were duly sworn

and testified before us in their turn;
their crimes were numerous;
when we peered down their gun barrels

their faces and hands and eyes glinted
and wrinkled maddeningly at the other end.
And we were mad—made to shake the kaleidescope

again: even virginity, that shoeless waif,
streaked low across the moonless cloudlake like
a slip blown from the line and carried off

to rest in some stranger's muddy yard.
All, please: we'd have no less, no stone
was left, etc....You were the maestro,
twirling a smoke in the dark,
then piping on it, braving the toy
puffs of death, conducting the ragtag band

of losses. "But why," you asked,
"didn't he love me?" Your deep laugh
dissolved into the peopled space between

the summer trees, whose black leaves flickered green
as morning came—the bitch!—to shut us down.

Good-bye, perfect night. You raised

your empty dinner glass to toast
our forward march, and tossing back
invisible shots we proceeded
backward into the light.

—Deborah Garrison

[BlueIris]

1. Okay, don't read it!!!

(sobs)

[BlueIris]

2. Kick.

[RetroLounge]

3. "A Working Girl Can't Win"

even virginity, that shoeless waif,
streaked low across the moonless cloudlake like
a slip blown from the line and carried off

to rest in some stranger's muddy yard.


I really like this book. I found a hard cover last year.

Thanks for posting this.

RL

[BlueIris]

4. I have it in hardcover, too!

The title's the only thing I don't like, though.

I'd hardly call Deborah Garrison a "working" girl.

[RainDog]

5. Here's one back for you

Just Walking Around

What name do I have for you?
Certainly there is not name for you
In the sense that the stars have names
That somehow fit them. Just walking around,

An object of curiosity to some,
But you are too preoccupied
By the secret smudge in the back of your soul
To say much and wander around,

Smiling to yourself and others.
It gets to be kind of lonely
But at the same time off-putting.
Counterproductive, as you realize once again

That the longest way is the most efficient way,
The one that looped among islands, and
You always seemed to be traveling in a circle.
And now that the end is near

The segments of the trip swing open like an orange.
There is light in there and mystery and food.
Come see it.
Come not for me but it.
But if I am still there, grant that we may see each other.


- John Ashbery

From: A Wave - Poems by John Asbery

thanks for the poem/post. keep it kickin'

[BlueIris]

10. Thanks! (I love me some John Ashberry.)

[UndertheOcean]

6. Will Loss drown ?

How can you ever be happy
while loss playfully puffs
bubbles into your hair
and caresses your sweet spots.

How can you ever be happy
whilst that innocent child
ever present behind you,
ever washes your deep sunken fear
with its laughter.

Yet , how can you still be sad,
while the chubby lips moisten
your ankles into the creamy dust.

Oh tell me child,
tell me fluently with our tears,
how do I tear your heart out,
and feed it to our thirsty bones.

For I have fallen
and the fallen are my beloved,
and nor your putrid sweetness
or your creating soul,
shall wash away our salt from
your domain.

And when you reach your door,
And in remembrance swim up our echoes,
don't cry for us , don't sob,
don't plant happiness or swallow despair,
just let the winds carry your scents
towards dreams like us yet again,
for the harsh cleansing of dreams
needs awakenings still,and forever,
unless the child drowns in our salt.

~by me

[RainDog]

7. Nice

:applause:

Your poem ...just let the winds carry your scents...

reminded me of this one - one of my favorites

The Wind Will Take Us

In my small night, ah
the wind has a date with the leaves of the trees
in my small night there is agony of destruction
listen
do you hear the darkness blowing?
I look upon this bliss as a stranger
I am addicted to my despair.

listen do you hear the darkness blowing?
something is passing in the night
the moon is restless and red
and over this rooftop
where crumbling is a constant fear
clouds, like a procession of mourners
seem to be waiting for the moment of rain.
a moment
and then nothing
night shudders beyond this window
and the earth winds to a halt
beyond this window
something unknown is watching you and me.

O green from head to foot
place your hands like a burning memory
in my loving hands
give your lips to the caresses
of my loving lips
like the warm perception of being
the wind will take us
the wind will take us.

Forugh Farrokhzad
Translated by Ahmad Karimi Hakkak
The Persian Book Review VOLUME III, NO 12 Page 1337

[UndertheOcean]

8. Thank you for your kindness.

:)

[Perseid]

11. beautiful!

[UndertheOcean]

19. Thank you!

[Perseid]

9. sorry, I looked and didn't see this

I followed our thoughts from yesterday to
today.
I wondered how we ever ended up this
way
I worried about tomorrow
for me and you
but, then had a
moment of truth

we never talked to each other that much
we never held each other close
we never had a moment in time to tell us
you are the one that I chose

I worried about tomorrow
for me and you
still
what will you do
without

I followed my foolish thoughts around
from yesterday
and wonder

what will you do?

[Perseid]

12. today, you and I had a moment in time

a moment to remember
with rhyme
we are
what we are
always
looking past ourselves
to the future

we had a moment
to remember
it doesn't matter what
month it fell into

we had a moment
to remember
it doesn't matter that
I discovered I love you

a moment to remember
with or without
a rhyme
gives us something
to take forward in time
let's look past ourselves
to the future
it doesn't matter
we had a moment

[Perseid]

13. another

sometimes we walk through our
personal wars
alone
and sometimes
we talk to others who listen to
words about
personal scars
not alone
not by myself
anymore
I have you
and hold on too
you
we always walk day by day
through our
personal wars
sometimes
words we speak about
being not alone
anymore
I have you
and you hold
on too
me
and I walk without

[Perseid]

14. I have to say this

the words you are reading were written spontaneously by me. No revision, no thought.

It just comes through me.

If you like them, then I am pleased.

[Perseid]

15. Oh No

I didn't fall to sleep just to wake up
momentarily waking up from dreams to see
something that will take you
away from me

why does this
always happen?
why do the stars not
intervene
I walked a thousand miles
in your shoes
after all this
why do I feel so
serene?

I didn't mean to fall asleep
just to wake up to you
saying someone took you away
from me

I didn't cause this to happen
it just happens
again and again and again
why do I feel so serene?

[Perseid]

16. another

I can't believe the words
my eyes have been
wishing to say
to
you

why can't you listen
to the silence
that happens when

I look at you and
wish you see
me
and the things I want to
do
to
you

You look at me with
expectation and
silence
in your soul

my eyes still wish to say
why can't you listen
I wish that you could
see
what you
do
to
me

[Perseid]

17. what is with people

recognize beauty, and revel in it.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.