Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Helix #9

A black baseball cap
A puddle reflecting shattered starlight
A green metal patio chair outside the motel

A bottleneck guitar slide whining the octave
A batiked curtain a California poppy
A J-Church streetcar lurching into sunlight

You’re lost inside your life your voice gone husky
A luna moth on a breezeway lattice
A lime green sport coat the cuffs rolled up past the wrists

An outdoor café the streetlights glowing jaundiced
You’re lost inside your life on another street
A koa baritone uke strumming Moon River’s chords

A handpainted teacup a red pincushion
Black cottonwood limbs in 5:00 a.m. jaundiced fog
You’re asleep on a sofa the light an April goldfinch

A passionate kiss without the least recollection
A driftwood log charred black
An order of french toast the sunlight oozing honey

You’re anxious as usual the coffee cup’s bone white
A waxing moon at 3:00 p.m. a cornflower sky unfurled
A teardrop mandolin a red accordion

You’re lost inside life you’re sporting a Panama hat
A island in Lake Champlain a silver thunderhead
A harmonic minor scale a hawthorne bush

The hardest poem you’ll ever write until
The hardest poem you’ll ever write a long goodbye
Your life will you ever waken

Jack Hayes
© 2010

6 comments:

  1. I listened to the uke strumming Moon River for the rest of the poem. Dream like and delicious.

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  2. Hi Willow: Hey, you got background music! Glad you liked it.

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  3. At first I thought this was the answer; that I was "lost inside my life"...no I'm not so sure...the imagery here...wow...!

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  4. I agree with subby. Great imagery.

    Very enjoyable, especially "..Black cottonwood limbs in 5:00 a.m. jaundiced fog.."

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  5. I'm loving this form and still trying to figure it out! Great image. I love the goldfinch light.

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  6. Hi Subby, Martin & Karen

    Subby: I don't tend to be a guy with just one answer! Thanks for looking & enjoying the scenery on the way.

    Martin: Glad you liked it--the cottonwood limbs were very black that morning!

    Karen: It would be difficult for me to "map" a form, but I guess I know it when I see it. That's probably not very helpful--sorry! Glad you like them.

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