I am a talking monkey--
I know this,
wearing the heavy suit of the corporeal.
Please,
sit on the rocks of the ruin with me.
The stones have a warmth
left by the sun
like a garland
around a young girl's head.
Speaking as a glorified simian,
I love the pretty yellow
of the banana,
the seeded red of the strawberry,
and the deep rich purple
of the plum.
Ill health, blood, bruises--
these bear the hues of these fruits
but theirs is a bitter course.
I am a talking monkey--
talking all the more, and most tediously
now that my tire
stays still.
I used to swing on it, wildly!
like a chimp in a capsule
NASA's baby
headed for the stars!
Ah well, little pitchers have big ears--
never tell them the rotten truth
about the circus
or the old hero peddling for the gawking crowd.
_______
Music: The Rolling Stones Monkey Man
I enjoy your labels as much as this poem. A wise old hero indeed. I especially love "now that my tire stays still." Mine roo. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteWhat an insightful and heroic tale..I too liked the tire. Jae
ReplyDeleteI love your talking monkey. Seems much lies hidden beneath your words. I ponder and ponder. Thanks for making me think!
ReplyDeleteThat first stanza is such a lyrical contrast to the last two, and yet, it follows as inevitable that the magically endowed simian finds solace in speech yet sees too much that silences. The metaphors here are complex and adroit, belying their apparent simplicity. A fine sad poem of endurance, identity and change. Or so I read. A beautiful piece, Shay.
ReplyDeleteThere you are--swinging on the mad-exceptional metaphor monkey bars again. The bar has never been higher.
ReplyDeleteI can't describe this poem any better than Hedgewitch did. The monkey is the monkey on its own back. It had a wild ride, and time left it where it is not kind. I too often feel like a monkey on a porch jabbering and searching for someone who will hear me.
ReplyDeleteAmazing what you have done here Shay. The monkey and his still tire, I can relate to the place he is at now. At least my body can.
ReplyDeleteIf only our humans were as erudite and thoughtful as your monkey. Wait!! Are WE the monkeys? What are you saying here, LOL!
ReplyDelete