Thursday, June 2, 2005

A Poem from My Chapbook

This is one of the central pieces in my chapbook - it's a series written on the process of grief, or at least, on parts of the process of grief. There are actually (in some manual somewhere) 8 steps and/or stages - but I wasn't writing a manual. Hope you enjoy:

Time
A study in Grief

I.
Feathers of Sorrow

Now there is nothing
and it's too much,
everything, and not nearly enough
at the same time, and the words
come out wrong because there are
no words at all.

It's lacking, and it's more
than you can carry -
a thousand pounds of feathers,
strapped and dragging behind you.

It's too damned much
this weight of nothing.

II.

The Grace of Anger

Soon there will be anger.

Lend her a name,
one of your own choosing -
make it beautiful, delicious;
her aftertaste will linger
long on your tongue.

Hold her tightly, relish
her flavor - savor her
without shame.

She will be
your lover and enemy,
your confidante
and foe. You will
hate her and need her,
in equal measure, but

make space for her
in your midnight silence,
for soon there will be anger;
and you will learn
to cherish her name.

III.

Poetic Acceptance

Then flew the butterfly from the fog
with wings, lightly dusted
to leave faith-prints on the breeze.

She has shaken free of snow-dustings
to settle gently on the blooms
of the daffodils. She has climbed
prematurely from her cocoon
into a world unknown

with the belief that she,
in youthful glee
will flourish on the wind.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:03 PM

    Wonderful transitions from segment to segment. The last part being the one of peace and acceptance. The fun part being the anger, the second segment. : ) Enjoyed all of it. Millard

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  2. Hi Millard! LOL, I think "fun" is probably more appropriate than one might think. The anger was the only thing that got me through from the void to the hope, and it was a pretty ugly part of my life because I was angry at everyone and everything. The bad part is that sometimes, I enjoyed being mean - it was the only time I felt alive for a good while.

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  3. Anonymous8:03 PM

    E, I LOVE the third one especially. And I forgot to buy my copy once you figured out the email thing. I will do it this weekend - promise! :o)

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  4. No worries about your copy :P

    And yes, most people like III. the best. It's the pretty, happy one.

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  5. actually, this is genius...
    Now there is nothing
    and it's too much,
    everything, and not nearly enough
    at the same time, and the words
    come out wrong because there are
    no words at all.
    ...
    I do notice that butterfly dust again in the third though. Did you use that recently in a newer piece?

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  6. yup, I get an image and it sticks to me. Butterfly dust stuck through 2 poems. I'm over it now ;)

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  7. This is class- I agree with Vickie, that first stanza is spot on.

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