enough to bloody my fingers.
My pockets are filled with sugar I pretend is stars.
When I touch my fingers to them, they stick to the blood and turn pink
like cherry blossoms in haiku.
I put the tip of my tongue to the sand and stars
to taste earth and heaven together, but it's no good--
grit in my mouth makes me grind my teeth until I spit red.
Having combined dirt and deity, I carry the experience
but produce no pearl.
_______
I am not sure if this is pastiche, Kerry, but it is my attempt at it.
"I carry the experience
ReplyDeletebut produce no pearl." Made me go 'oh'
My favorite lines were: "to taste earth and heaven together, but it's no good--
ReplyDeletegrit in my mouth makes me grind my teeth until I spit red."
I've never heard of that type of poem, so I can proclaim, "It's a perfect pastiche!"
Pearls might result from sand, but mostly they stem from pain... alas.
ReplyDeleteOf course my favorite line is about the cherry blossoms in haiku/- you manage to squeeze a great deal of humor from a painful reckoning. Thanks. K.
ReplyDeleteThis may not be haiku in form, but there is a sparseness to the metaphor, and a cutting edge to the reversal of comfort in nature, that turns it on its head and shakes out the gist. If one finds out that stars are merely grit, after all, then what good are a few falling blossoms. Pastiche or simply brutal honesty, either way, fine writing full of immediacy and force.
ReplyDeleteThis is such fine work, Shay. Somewhere between heaven and earth, people are bleeding. I think on have encapsulated the tragedy of the human condition quite perfectly.
ReplyDeleteSugar, stars, somewhere between heaven and earth. This is very wonderful writing. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI love this. I love the fall between the expectation and the reality.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant ending. Damn.
ReplyDelete"I put the tip of my tongue to the sand and stars
ReplyDeleteto taste earth and heaven together, but it's no good--"
Yes.