Sunday, January 16, 2005

2 out of 3

Okay I am posting two of the three for billy, I am still looking for the other one. Let me know what you think though I may delete this post in a few days.

While Watching Russian Films

Silos are waking in the sun
and the mother is pouring wine to the boys
watering it down with rainwater and you’ll never know
what is in the blue box drowning
with the father, waves first covering his fingers
then his wrists and it would be wonderful to die
like this, slowly. Children running on a beach
calling papa, papa and everything is more
than beautiful, it is lonely--
a boy’s cut lip, black hair slipping
deeper and deeper. The body grows
at the bottom of a river. Camera goes black
then to the mother
pouring wine and now you know
everything. It is simple to die.
To show dying. Do it slowly
like filling a cup.

Women are beautiful
or ugly and even the houses are sad
flooding the screen then disappearing to white.
And you want to be cold, to have love
even though your tongue would be blue
but truth does not matter, it’s obsolete
and here’s a quality you admire.

Generally there is no sex
but violins mate as if underwater
and these hums are lullabies for the fish
in plastic bags, breathing in, out.

Yet you always return to the silos.

----------------------

Hide

Deer wandered in my father’s store
on the backs of men; their tongues hanging
as hunters held their dripping heads
counted horns, unless it was a doe
then they’d stop, spread her legs, talk of tender meat
rest a tired hand on the inside of her thigh.

The first time I touched the fur of my body,
my fingers slipped easily into the folds.
I remembered the men, their dark coats, how a knife

removed the last bit of skin, sharp bend of bone.
Soon I would be hunted, the sweet smell
on my hands tracked and I would lie
like the doe, my eyes open

beautiful, almost life-like.

8 comments:

Ivy said...

I like Hide. Change 'lay' to 'lie'? Makes sense, plus you get extra rhymes: "lie like ... life-like".

My instinct tells me this is the title poem of your chapbook. ;-)

early hours of sky said...

Funny I was working on the book manuscript today and moved it to the first poem. It is the one of the poems people always want to talk about at readings, so I thought I should take my own advice and lead off with it.

Btw, thank you for the lie;)

Ivy said...

Teresa, just smack me down if I get to nitpicky. I get that way. Teehee!

early hours of sky said...

I NEED nit picky, thank you T

Unknown said...

Now, are these the ones that are more finished or the ones you want to workshop? The thing about workshops that kinda rubs me the wrong way is that these people are strangers to your work, your development, style ect. I guess that could also be an argument FOR workshops, but I see it as a negative because there are certain quirks that make your voice truly yours, things like syntax and diction, themes. It seems like in workshops these elements want to get standardized. What I'm trying to say is, I like the poems, don't fuck with them too much.

Ivy said...

I'm never any good at workshops... that is, the benefit of it is lost on me, because I wouldn't bring anything unfinished to the table. I'm far more comfortable offering my insights to other people's. However, what you don't use today, you can use for your next poem. You'll know good advice and how it applies to you when you hear it.

Ana Božičević said...

I thought the first one was especially lovely, I really liked "To show dying. Do it slowly/like filling a cup." Also "violins mate as if underwater". Good luck at the workshop!

early hours of sky said...

Thank you all, it was very helpful having you look at them. Hopefully I wont torture Billy too much...