East Bronx by David Ignatow
In the street two children sharpen
knives against the curb
Parents leaning out the window
above gaze and think and smoke
and duck back into the house
to sit on the toilet seat
with locked door to read
of the happiness of two tortoises
on an island in the Pacific
always alone and always
the sun shining
In some households the only peace that can be found is in the smallest room in the house.I know a writer who set up a study in a cellar under his house to get peace and quiet. His children are grown now but I believe he is still buried there somewhere under mounds of mouldering old manuscripts. Unaccustomed to seeing him, his wife is always startled at his occasional appearance in the main house.
Tortoises by Rall
two tortoises
in the sunshine
on a pacific island
palm trees waving
white sand
blue green surf
on a study wall
camouflage for grimness
in a highrise
dreams of those
waking up to
cold black mornings
grey skies
chilled fingers
trudging through
snow to buy gaspers
" next year perhaps
we'll visit
the tortoises"
but the tortoises
wont be there
they have their
own dreams
This week, I like the prose part more than the poem.
ReplyDeleteFun to see the Fab girls pop up. You nailed the cadence dead on.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love what you did with Mag's citrus. I'm still stuck on the idea of blood orange.
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You make me wonder what "vacation" would be for a tortoise? Organic lettuce farm? Would they shuck their shells and go nudist? Maybe one of those floating city/casino cruise ships.
You look to the tortoises, and I can't see past the window.
3 Panes
I too like the prose that followed the Ignatow poem, and that's what inspired mine:
ReplyDeletehttp://jdmackenzie.blogspot.com/2011/03/exiled.html
Interesting jolt in your poem, from this pastoral image to the realization of a poster. I also caught some urgency to do important things now, while you can, as some things change and the opportunity lost?
None of the above..south pacific tortoises are upmarket and seek out more aesthetic rather than common place pursuits.
ReplyDeleteGlad you understood the thrust of it BD..that's exactly what I meant.
Ms. Rall, I am late again. I enjoyed your poem and also picked up the sense of urgency mentioned by JD (but would not have said so without his confirmation because I am lame at reading other people's work). My poem spun into something about a room. It is still in the tweak stage, but I wanted to get it posted for your prompt before too long. Take care, Dan
ReplyDeleteRoom for Forgiveness
I've read you poem Danny and I think you should be aware that Jinksy does not play mah jong!
ReplyDelete