Tuesday, November 10, 2009

“A Little Like Death”

[Here’s the next B.N. poem—please enjoy!]

A Little Like Death


In your love poem,
you are touching the woman
who will not roll over
because she is weeping.
Later you say:
Light, it is dark where I am standing,
Moon, the water is too still.
And it is bitter when
she leaves because
you could have wished her dead.

You are afraid that ghosts
keep to themselves.
I believe that they
are attracted to us, and shiny objects.
They take the shape of
birds and form consonants
in the sky, a language
of the hereafter.

It is Sunday afternoon
and I'm amazed
how the red carpet soaks up light—
How did we come to this?
Me loving
you, lying about an afterlife.

B.N.
© to the author 1983-2009

“A Little Like Death” previously appeared in The Memphis State Review

10 comments:

  1. Love this bit best, John.

    'They take the shape of
    birds and form consonants
    in the sky, a language
    of the hereafter.'

    Lovely.

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  2. Hi TFE: Thanks--I've always liked this one a lot.

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  3. Yes, I picked out the same phrase as TFE. It's memorable and has a meaning (although I suspect the meaning is different for each of us)

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  4. I wish I had all of these in a book. I wish I had all of these, however many all of these might be, in any form at all, but I suppose I should just be patient, and grateful for your posting them, at whatever pace. They really are wonderful.

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  5. I certainly did enjoy The poem continually takes the reader by surprise - well, this reader, anyway. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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  6. Hi Mairi & Dave

    Mairi: There are 22 poems in this manuscript. I hope to continue to post B.N.'s work after these are all posted; she also writes some very good fiction.

    Dave: So glad you liked it. B.N.'s poems are posted every other Tuesday.

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  7. Hi Mairi & Dave

    Mairi: There are 22 poems in this manuscript. I hope to continue to post B.N.'s work after these are all posted; she also writes some very good fiction.

    Dave: So glad you liked it. B.N.'s poems are posted every other Tuesday.

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  8. "And it is bitter when
    she leaves because
    you could have wished her dead."

    "Me loving
    you, lying about an afterlife."

    These are the bits I like the best, although I have to say, I loved the whole thing. Yes. I really loved it.

    Who is this amazing, B.N.?

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  9. Hi Kat--glad you liked it! B.N. is an old friend who wishes to remain anonymous for some very legitimate reasons. She is a very talented writer, as folks can see!

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