WordCrafter word list: Property/ Bizarre / Mercury / Melancholy / Indigo / Light / Languish / Purity / Thirst
Purity may be found
secreted behind that borrowed rib
a little southwest of the heart.
It uses serrated light
from the #39 bus,
its lit numbers visible only to those bleeding.
Mercury stepped on your kindness
and pawned his pride
for three dollars and a rolled bandage.
Melancholy Jane saw it all,
handed the driver a bible
full of indigo blues and lighter fluid,
Said, "Home, James,"
in your voice she had recorded under her tongue
like a password.
I hid purity in my messenger bag,
an inherited property, a ball and chain
made from beer tabs and lipstick.
All I want now is to languish famously,
pull poems out of top hats
and remember the bizarre attraction
you keep by the roadside
for marks and suckers
you turn to perfection on the wheel of your kiss.
_______
Shay, as I read through this it makes me feel like I'm riding the bus in the early a.m.s. with other people like Bob Dylan, in The Village after the cafes shut down for the night.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love what you did with the word list in this amazing poem Shay. You gave it life and a stunning story to tell. A lot of surreal things can happen when you have indigo blues and lighter fluid!!
ReplyDeletei want to ride the same bus as you in the early hours. there be magic there
ReplyDelete"Serrated light.." I love that, and the bible full of blues and lighter fluid, not to mention stolen voices and miraculous roadside attractions. Just a mind trip, this whole thing, Shay, and full of nuance and heat. Amazing how you made that word list disappear into your poem like pebbles into a pond,leaving just the ripples of image.
ReplyDeleteI am truly amazed at what you crafted here. Just Wow!!!
ReplyDeleteI hid purity in my messenger bag,
an inherited property, a ball and chain
Wonderfully woven, Shay. I love the idea of purity being found 'secreted behind that borrowed rib/
ReplyDeletea little southwest of the heart.' And the serrated light/from the #39 bus' is such an evocative image. I can just picture it.
That was quite a trip! You create such wonderful verse and images. 'I hid purity in my messenger bag/...' !
ReplyDelete"Melancholy Jane saw it all,
ReplyDeletehanded the driver a bible
full of indigo blues and lighter fluid,"
Those enigmatic words I could roll around for the pure spin in them: beautifully written.
pax,
dora
Holy s**t that is good. Pulling images and language out of that top hat of poetry, then showing us that out hearts were the trick to things all along when "you turn to perfection on the wheel of your kiss."
ReplyDeleteAnd to your words exotic Shay – peace!
ReplyDeleteYes, wow! Absolutely amazing writing. Every phrase, every image blew me away.
ReplyDeleteCool and very unique. Riding the bus can definitely be a trip in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteone reason I read your poetry in bursts is because it's so f*ng good. you craft. you don't sketch or dally, you don't waste and you sure as hell don't flinch. ~
ReplyDeleteJust absolutely amazing! Full of feeling and spirit. Makes one want to ride that bus, even though the bus may not make it to the next stop. I want to crawl into your messenger bag and dissolve, and that's ok.
ReplyDelete