In those days,
the skies were closer--
God peered down from nearer by
still tinkering.
Animals had names
and wore stovepipe hats
or tam o' shanters in various shades
and could speak.
Why tell us this
now, when vipers emerge
from every apple, with tongues
hollow and stiff?
I wish to soothe
your two exhausted ears
and place fish there, in the waters
of your mind.
Here is the boat
and the cloaks of soft fabric
to wear on the decks on the sea on the sphere
spinning the tale
of us,
every moment,
even now.
_____
for Word Garden Word List--Immortal Poems
Music: Cream (lyrics by poet Peter Brown) Deserted Cities of the Heart
I love this - the animals in stovepipe hats, the vipers with stiff and hollow tongues, the relief of placing the fish in our teeming brains, to soothe our thoughts. I actually felt the relief of those fish, swimming through my exhausted brain.
ReplyDeleteI love your conclusion and how every poem of yours is unique and enclosed - lots of Wonderlands to enjoy each time - Jae
ReplyDeleteThis is wistful, charming, and like that apple at Halloween, should be checked for razor blades before taking a large bite. The contrast between then, a time of innocence, and now, the opposite in every way, is profound and while the overall tone is light, the poem still brings the chill of a viper's smooth skin at the end. A very well crafted piece, Shay.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery of stanza two is just pure delight. And the poignant turn in stanza three is perfect--and that close. So good.
ReplyDeleteall of it, but especially the 4th stanza - magic ~
ReplyDeleteHeavenly, Shay, a respite from the tangle of vipers in our mind/heart/world, a passage through the seas with the knowledge of being cared for until we arrive at another safe place, better than the one we lost. I feel this one deeply.
ReplyDeleteOoooh. I loved the Babel Fish to relieve our exhausted ears and minds. The ending is perfect, the soft cloak we can wear on deck in the stormy, spinning seas of the world.
ReplyDelete