Monday, November 26, 2007

WI: A Letter


I know a woman lovely in her bones
--Theodore Roethke


Dear Omniscient Whomever,

I know a man unlovely in his bones,
by any human measures, of ill health,

and filled with parasites, with body parts
as rotted as the pistons of an old

Plymouth, still, sweet in his pure and tender
soul, who would be raised from his sickbed by

angels, sharp-edged but in no great hurry,
spinning on their graceful harpy wings like

falling-down galaxies. He raises his
obscene middle finger toward the coat-rack

in the corner, in the half-light, spinning.
I know how it is, how space flight is a

risky business. I wonder why in a
universe where angels dance with ions

in a hundred visions and revisions,
Prufrock-like, why is this final, deadly

apparition not an angel? Would not
an angel, any angel, even an

unlovely one be better than this per-
verse revolving coat-rack in the corner?

With Love,
Pepek

.

14 comments:

Marja said...

He raises his obscene middle finger towards the coat rack. What a clever letter about a coat rack. Very original.

Annie Jeffries said...

Amazing how you have brought life to such a mundane object. The imaginative world you have created here has me reading this more than a few times.

Annie Jeffries said...

P.S. Just saw that you stopped by my main blog. Thank you for your continued thoughts for George. Annie

Jo said...

Oh, this is very, very special. This is spun from gold dust. Excellent work.

Lea said...

This is wonderful. I love all the places it takes me.. especially "their graceful harpy wings like falling-down galaxies..." a letter to be read, and re-read, again and again...

Anonymous said...

Very powrful, I must say

Pauline said...

so many wonderful lines in this one - my favorites: "I wonder why in a
universe where angels dance with ions
in a hundred visions and revisions,
Prufrock-like, why is this final, deadly
apparition not an angel?"

Aren't words wonderful playthings?

ren powell said...

sly humor-

ren powell said...

I think I got cut off. :-)
What bit of serious fun.

paris parfait said...

This is terrific - such an unexpected take on the prompt! Your imagination is working overtime and it's beautiful!

Pam said...

Your imagination dazzles me! You work magic with your words and this is exceptional.

Joyce Ellen Davis said...

Actually, my best friend's husband is very sick, and she told me he was seeing the coat-rack revolving. She said, if he's going to hallucinate, why can't he see ANGELS?

Oh, says I, I don't know how to answer that, but there is a poem there....

I am glad you all think it is a poem, too.

Joyce Ellen Davis said...

BTW, this is syllabic -- 10 syllables to a line. Syllabics are fun to work with.

Keith's Ramblings said...

How on earth you came it with this I can't imagine. Brilliant - just brilliant