Take me down to ocean side
where sirens work in vending stalls
selling sea glass by the pound
and tide crabs leave their gazing balls.
I was young once, for an instant
and strewed my bones with bright confetti
made myself a red flag flying
as storm surge overtopped the jetty.
I married well, a starfish navvy
who built the seaside park their Ferris
They paid his labor with box jellies
who by their envy made him perish.
I asked the sirens for a chocolate
to hide from gulls who ate the season
when I was halfway into evening
and honey sunset let the bees in.
Take me down to ocean side
bring the digger in common clothes
to move the sand and move me on
in my folded-handed pose.
________
Wow. I dont know how you do it, you just get better and better. No one writes like you do. I loved this. Especially clever: season/bees in. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully painted like an impressionist scene of a life, and that last stanza surprised me, orchestrating the entrance of "the digger in common clothes", a burial, a "folded-handed pose" of peace at tale's end. Outstanding poetry, Shay.
ReplyDeleteSherry is right, I have read your poetry for years. Loved it from first read ~~ how it fascinated, inspired and entertained. Never, ever stop and congrats on Granddaughter #2. Looking forward to tomorrow's word list .... I've been distracted here in Bend.
ReplyDeleteI love how the rhythm of the poem seems to echo the rhythm of the ocean. I like the images in the 4th stanza especially and the accompanying image is lovely too.
ReplyDeleteThe close becomes the close; rhythmic yet calm and peaceful. "when I was halfway into evening / and honey sunset let the bees in."...Love this.
ReplyDeleteAgain "honey sunset let the bees in" just slayed me. I love this poem so much!
ReplyDeleteHa, I hadn't thought about jump rope chants in a long time. Wondering if kids still jump rope to chants at all. I like the story that this one told, the rhythm, the images! This was a fun read.
ReplyDeleteVery cool rhythm for jumping rope, and words that remind me of the plague hiding in some other jump songs I know. Does she die and is she buried, or does she grow old and love the sea just the same as in youth? I pick the latter, and see her wheel chair sea side, calm beside the bees and the gulls.
ReplyDeletevery well formed and totally unique. I personally think you poems are a joy to read. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of when I took my walks along the beach collecting sea glass. Every line of this poem is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe flow and rhyme and dark feel of this make it especially grabbing to the reader. Side note, I love the movie death becomes her. Such a deep message in that one too.
ReplyDelete