I will wrap the sun in a fresh newspaper
Like a bright baby,
Nestled close beside the long wet stems of irises.
When the new day comes,
The characters I love best from books will start heart beats--
Antoinette,
Cece,
Flannery,
Dressed down and lazy in white chairs on the flagstone porch.
When the new day comes,
I'll keep the moon in a cut crystal bowl outdoors,
And jay-blue feathers will float down
From the branches of the ash tree,
To take my arm like a favorite sister.
But until then, I am getting older,
And expect to remain alone--
With cagey time always diminishing,
And this sunflower-dust disaffection
From skin down into bone.
_______
Antoinette is from Robert Girardi's "Madeleine's Ghost."
Cece is from Julie Anne Peters's "Keeping You A Secret."
Flannery is from Sylvia Brownrigg's "Pages For You."
____
When the new day comes we will all be fresh again. Til then we can only wait, drying out leaving the pit behind. Or maybe not drying out. Maybe using up.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of our favorite characters coming to life.
ReplyDeleteIf i must be alone, and who isn't, the ghosts and wonders you've gathered here are more than sufficient for me. In fact, I think I prefer them. The tags add an element of sober reality, however. Fine writing here, Shay, up with your best, and that is up high.
ReplyDeleteThese lines and images evoked some of the most emotions, were some of the most visually powerful, compared to all of your poems I've read, and THAT is saying something.
ReplyDeleteI (seriously) think, if we could unpack your head (shudder--ha!) we could teach a year-long college class on word choice and figurative language and rhythm.
Think about it...
wrap the day in news paper like the catch of the day coming home from the pier...i too like the idea of fav characters coming to life...some i would love to talk to...
ReplyDeleteAs always, a pure delight to read, Shay. Your new day sounds so fascinating and so magical and so right.
ReplyDelete(I'm having massive reader problems on blogger and am also reduced to posting blindly because the post page isn't loading correctly. Sooooo annoying!)
"the moon in a cut crystal bowl"......sigh. So lovely a poem. I'm with Hedge, alone, yet, reading your words, so richly fed.
ReplyDelete"When the new day comes,
ReplyDeleteI'll keep the moon in a cut crystal bowl outdoors,"
i love the idea of keeping the moon in a cut crystal bowl ~ what will you do with the stars?
there's always a new day coming ~ this is {as always} stunning!
dani ♥
Astonishingly beautiful, Shay. I love this.
ReplyDeleteOne can be very alone, even within a relationship..."sunflower-dust disaffection" visits even the coupled sometimes.
Older...Better!!!
ReplyDeleteA stunning poem, Shay and I love that those characters come to life for you.
ReplyDeleteEver read any Flannery O'Connor? That's who I thought you meant at first, although she was a writer, not a fictional character. But oh what a character she was in life.
I am drowning in the magic word of your poetry. Like these lines:
ReplyDelete"When the new day comes,
I'll keep the moon in a cut crystal bowl outdoors,
And jay-blue feathers will float down
From the branches of the ash tree,
To take my arm like a favorite sister."
Love your choice of words, how the visual aspect your figurative placement of words opens the eyes of my heart. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful! I love "I'll keep the moon in a cut crystal bowl..."
ReplyDelete