Tuesday, August 30, 2011

"Work in Progress"

[Time for a Barbie Dockstader Angell poem!    This would have been the final poem in the batch Barbie & I originally discussed posting, but I’m totally jazzed to announce that Barbie has signed on to be ongoing contributor on Robert Frost’s Banjo, so her work will continue to appear here every other Tuesday!  Yay!]

 

Work  In  Progress
Please  excuse  my  mess.
The construction isn’t done.
I know you thought it ended,
But it barely has begun.

Pieces of me all around
And no one has a broom.
Paranoia on the ground
And  heartache  clouds  the  room.

Just when things begin to end,
The unveiling seems so close,
Something falls apart again,
And everything implodes.

So step around the dust of me,
And try to visualize,
That soon the girl you want to see
Will be before your eyes.

And see the heart that’s being fixed,
With tape and sealing wax.
Although at times I still feel sick,
My head’s held up with tacks.

So please excuse the state I’m in,
The endless disarray.
But the handyman is mad again.
He won’t finish ‘till he’s paid.


Barbie Dockstader Angell
© 2009-present

10 comments:

  1. thank you. :) very sweet of you to comment.

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  2. Beautiful poem. "step around the dust of me" is absolutely brilliant, very Neil Gaimanesque. I've definitely been here.

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  3. Hi Will: Glad you liked Barbie's poem--thanks for stopping by!

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  4. thank you will. :) i'm honored that you were reminded of neil gaiman....i think he's brilliant. when people ask me how my life is going, my typical reply is "under construction and without an affordable contractor"....i guess this piece just goes a little bit deeper. :)

    thanks again.

    and thank you john, i really appreciate your faith in my work. :)

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  5. That soon the girl you want to see
    Will be before your eyes.


    It makes you wonder who the construction is for. Is she reconstructing herself for her own sake, or for someone else's pleasure, or a mix of both. I like how the poem has a lilt to it, contrasting with the sad, dark elements.

    I'm glad to hear that this poet will keep being featured here :)

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  6. hkatz, that's a great question and one that has only been asked twice before. i'll give you some insight on this piece, and that's something i rarely do.

    the girl is not trying to make herself into someone that the boy wants, as in change her personality or attitude or something. she's actually afraid to love again. she's been hurt too many times and isn't sure when she'll be able to trust again. she likes the boy, so she's hoping he will wait, but realistically she knows that being able to open herself up to giving and receiving love will take some time.

    i hope i explained that well, let me know if you had other questions about it. :)

    and thank you, i'm terribly pleased that john asked me to continue with submissions. :)

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  7. Hi HKatz: Good question! & yes, isn't it great that Barbie's poems will continue to be here!

    Hi Barbie: Good answer! & I'm also very happy that you'll continue to be a part of Robert Frost's Banjo :)

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  8. thank you john. :) this seems to be my forum for revealing insights about my work.

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