It can only tell you
what you no longer have.
~Margaret Atwood
 |
| David Bulow @bulow_ink Used with Permission |
It is better to forget
me, you say, as soon, I
will have forgotten you.
Burn my poems,
if you prefer a pain
both fierce and brief.
Do you imagine, I ask,
that will help you feel
less alive? Or less lost?
as I fold his torn pages
into paper kites and we
take turns at the window.
Better to leave words
to the whim of the gods.
And love no less for their loss.
For Art FLASH! in the Imaginary Garden, which features the art of David Bülow. Visit Bulow Ink to see further examples of his work. David can also be found on Instagram (Link under picture).
This poem is inspired both by his image and the poem A Visit by Margaret Atwood.
I love what you saw in the image, and this is so much better expressed than what I tried to do...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bjorn. Ideas for writing new poems have been in short supply of late, so I am happy to have had a little spurt of creativity.
DeleteLove this!!! It is probably "best to leave words to the whim of the gods. And love no less for their loss." Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteYet we constantly have to explain ourselves...
DeleteThis is incredibly poignant, Kerry! I could feel every word, image and emotion rich in its use of language and artistry. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Sanaa. Good to know the scenario resonates.. all thanks to David's work.
DeleteI love the way you set up this scene. And the reality of the exchange, the emotions flashing through their lively back and forth leaves me wanting to know more about them... especially about what got them there, and where they will go next. Whatever that might be, I agree with the last stanza all the way.
ReplyDeleteI don't often use dialogue in this way but I enjoyed it. I doubt I would have approached the poem from this angle without first reading Atwood's poem.
DeleteI like the ambiguous word(play) in the title, Kerry, the way you have taken inspiration from the image and the Atwood poem, and the quotation. I also like the dialogue form, which makes me feel as if I am eavesdropping or have walked in on a conversation. Most of all I love the way you describe the letting go:
ReplyDelete‘…I fold his torn pages
into paper kites and we
take turns at the window’.
Yay! I am glad you picked up the wordplay... weighting/waiting/un-both and weight vs weightlessness. It took me a while to decide on the title but glad I went with this one.
DeleteLove how you and Kim have pointed out the creative title in this light and tight verse. Such an intriguing and well-thought idea, Kerry. This bit strikes me with its emotional quotient: "Burn my poems,/if you prefer a pain/both fierce and brief."
ReplyDeleteThis also reminds me of Kafka and how he wanted his work to be destroyed after his death.
Your conclusion finds a middle way from complete obliteration.
I'm all about finding the middle ground, friend, but only after considering both ends. There is something in being the agent of one's own destruction.. just words on paper, nothing more. Nothing and everything.
DeleteFierce and brief is what I always aim for, though it does not always shake out that way.
ReplyDeleteSadly, it seems the slow burn is more common.
DeleteI love the idea of releasing the weight of poems from one's spirit. Love can springboard poetic expression, but those poems can turn into paperweights on our hearts. Beautiful as always.
ReplyDeleteYes, the weight of our words - sometimes hard to let go.
DeleteThere is an interesting scene here, between the narrator and the "him" and I find it very intriguing. In such a short space you've portrayed a very intense moment and wee bit of whimsy with the paper kites. That mix is very powerful and brings forth a new emotion. Well done, Kerry!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Izy. I am glad to have infused more questions than answers into the scenario.
DeletePretty strong love to divest yourself of your writing for him/her. My friend asked his partner to have her cat spayed before they could live together. I wouldn't spay my cat for anyone, nor would I get rid if my writings.
ReplyDelete..
Thanks for that insight,Jim.
DeleteThis has a strong voice- well done!
ReplyDeleteLessening the burden of words. Brilliant ending on this, Kerry. Also, love the Atwood quote.
ReplyDelete"...a pain fierce and brief".....I wish. I , alack, am prone to long and slow. I love the paper kites at the window.......
ReplyDeletedeep paper cuts
ReplyDeleteare the most painful