Photo copyright 2003 All Enthusiast, Inc (Bruno, the artist, writes: From the moment we are conceived, we begin our descent through Time. We float and swirl in the innocence of youth till we are dropped into the responsibility of adulthood. With no control of the tempo or duration, we wander in the sands till our bones become dust. Then Father Time flips the hourglass and it begins all over again ...)
What if Never should come again
I must get a new bird
and a new immortality box.
--Anne Sexton
What if Never should come again
Or Why like kisses should happen along
And shatter the day that Daddy made
And Mama shuddered that you were born?
But what if Ever could happen along
And some like They should come again
To swallow the dark that swallows us all
Before we lie all slithery down?
Then we all would shout for the dark to break
Like mahogany splinters and those dark bowls
Of our eyes our hearts come back like birds
To a Somewhere place more here than gone,
Where Sometime frets in the wings for its cue
And Time that begot us and made us new
Is Father and Mother and Lover and Son
And we all are Many, and we all are Few,
And we're counted, One by One.
9 comments:
What a strange and beautiful blending of Sexton's goofy lines (dang, I just knew I needed to pick up that immortality box at Publix!), the surreal-ish hourglass, and your wry verse that builds on abstractions as objects (and you work in Sexton's bird, too!).
I enjoyed this poem...and the contrats it provided..and as always, I am a sucker for a good last line...thanks
this is one i need to read over and over and let it permiate into my skin. love the way you have united the hourglass and the words here. beautiful.
Thought provoking, with a great last line :) Loved that picture with your poetry.
if you look real close at the struggling figure on the left side of the sand pile, it's ME!!
Nienke, that's YOU?
Liz, don't let it permiate too long--your fingertips and toes will get all wrinkley!
wendy, I had another last line, but I didn't like it. it took me a while. Glad you like it.
jim, try ebay!
tammy, isn't that a great picture? I love it, too. Thanx for all your comments!
What a great combination of everything! I love this.
I love these lines.
"Like mahogany splinters and those dark bowls
Of our eyes our hearts come back like birds"
Really enjoyed this poem.
That is a wondrous poem ... it got me thinking - I had to read it more than once.
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