© 2008 -- 2011 the Grandpa at The Word Mechanic. All rights reserved.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Deaths and Funerals

She removes a book
From the broken shelf and lets
An envelope fall
From between pages

Then spreads its contents
Before her and counts, twelve red
Petals with a card,
Its message blurred by

Water from greens. She
Opens the Morning
News,
wanting to read again
His name and feel young

Arms suddenly lift
Here from the floor to sway her
To the melodies
She’d thought she’d forgot.

Originally published in Ohio Journal, Autumn 1979.
© copyright 2004, 2009 the Grandpa at The Word Mechanic Blog.
All rights reserved.

I have a new poem scheduled for publication in the July issue of The Chimaera an online "literary miscellany." The poem is "Captain Lee," and it will appear in the journal's Feature Theme section. The Feature Theme for Issue 6 is "poems in well-wrought form."

12 comments:

  1. This one is very touching, GP. I'll be looking forward with much anticipation to "Captain Lee".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awww...Grandpa, I do so love to go back there...for a just a minute or two...tonic for the soul

    Peace - Rene

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful, Grandpa. I will check out "Captain Lee."

    ReplyDelete
  4. A touching poem that lasts with time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely. What a journey, all in a few lines.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congrats on your latest publiation.
    I love your metric-inevitability perfectly mated to meaning.
    Your lines have heft and feel good in the "hand."
    One likes to linger with them, enjoying them. they never blurr together in blah blah blah...
    My tribute, Riding With Dad will be a guest column in thursday's Honolulu Star Bulletin in time for fathers' day. Just call it a big obit....Aloha, Poet

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your poem also whispers of an obituary, a loss, a celebration uncanny........what I brought to it anyway...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi there, I loved the poem... It was especially meaningful to me at the moment as the feeling of loss is still very raw. Am off for a few days to watch the movements of the sea and to enjoy some salty breezes ... Hugs across the pond!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is my first post I'd love to thank you for such a terrific quality site!
    Was thinking this is a perfect way to introduce myself!

    Sincerely,
    Edwyn Sammy
    if you're ever bored check out my site!
    [url=http://www.partyopedia.com/articles/hawaiian-party-supplies.html]hawaiian Party Supplies[/url].

    ReplyDelete