Monday, February 25, 2008

WI & RWP: One for Two


The poet Dylan Thomas wrote of a darkness in the weather of the eye. The eye can show many different kinds of weather. How a thing is viewed always depends upon the viewer, hence, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; or, if the weather in the eye is changeable, and becomes stormy and full of rainclouds, the beholder might see something else entirely.

LITANY FOR A SNOWMAN

"I have a problem. Everybody I ever loved
I still love." --Alice Morrey Bailey



What I wanted most was
First, a sort of lusty voyerism,
To stare boldly
For a long time,
Neither of us speaking.
Then, for an icebreaker,
I would have touched his hair
Where pale blond had silvered,
Would have taken his eyeglasses in hand
To better gaze on passions
We would not name. Without a word
I'd have taken his coat,
Have taken his hands in mine,
Turned them, looked a long time
At the palms, the nails, the backs,
Would have touched the hairs
Growing there, and touched
His arms. At last,
I would bury my face
Against his chest and breathe of him
Until the inside of my head,
My lungs, my cells, are filled
With the scent of soap, after-shave,
Sun--whatever it is--
That makes me want to cry.


And sometimes, especially with snowmen when the weather has changed, there are NO SECOND CHANCES. True story.

(photo by Squirmelia)
*

16 comments:

Linda said...

I love the way this is written! Simplicity of words and complexity of emotions!

Anonymous said...

WOW. Amazing.......and that ending made my heart thud, beautiful, really beautiful. You have such a wonderful way with words.....

Anonymous said...

Beautiful poem, poignant, vivid.

paisley said...

what a passionate poem to be written about a snow man... but then again,, those to whom we assign our passion to most often in this life,, leave us,, just as the snowman does...

Crafty Green Poet said...

beautiful

UL said...

oh pepek, this is so very touching...you have captured reality in besutiful words...sometimes life is fickle and there are no second chances. Live like you have no other...thank you.

anthonynorth said...

Passion in simple words. Expertly done.

Anonymous said...

this is a lovely poem about much more than a snowman.

rebecca said...

this was perfectly written...

lusty voyerism...better gaze on passions not named...examining of hands...bury face to drink of him...WOW!

well, well done. and the ending, quite loving...i just loved the whole thing from beginning to end.

this was excellent, pepek...

Jo A. T.B. said...

Love the candor and humor you add to your words! Never thought of a snowman in quite the same way! Putting you on my links, really like your blog! :)

Anonymous said...

It was simply beautiful. Complexity of emotions are ever so interesting.

coiled and cocooned

Joyce Ellen Davis said...

Thank you all for your comments. It's always nice when people like your stuff, and say so!

Anonymous said...

Wonderfully concrete. I really like this poem.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Two of my children are teachers. the one who married in Thailand is now nearer home, in Switzerland. My daughter loves Japan which I have visited.

Tammy Brierly said...

Wonderful poems joyce and the animals reminded me how to smile again. ;)

Feeling better, thanks!

XXOO

Kay Cooke said...

I certainly do like your stuff Pepek - and have just said so!
It is a beautiful poem written from the pov of someone who knows what loss feels like.

wendy said...

How did I miss this.

Are you in my brain?