stranger than fiction is the fact
that their is a lack of togetherness
which is cornered by this sharing
of one bed in which are embedded
two bodies in the prone position
feeling an uncompanionable
sense of isolation and loneliness
there is no tombstone
but the situation is grave
giving only of breath to brevity
and this is when silence speaks
voicing the weight of the day
and akin to hostages
they are held captive
but not captivated
by the ominous darkness
depressing into duckdown pillows
are two heads facing poles apart
that even the satin sheets
cannot soften the blow of
for now is not the time
for talks of peace
all that remains
is to claim equal rights
to one half of the eiderdown
and they each hold fast
to their half
instead of each other
for the warmth
that they find missing
A contest entry
- "Talking in Bed" -- a poem by Philip Larkin by truembrace.
600 points, ended August 12, 2007, 11 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
the only part of this poem I wondered about was "their is no tombstone" imagining that it perhaps should be "theirs is no tombstone" for plural pronoun. Or was it a mishap of quick thought that maybe should have been "there?" Seems as though it could work for the poem either way.
The poem as a whole, I think, is lovely and vivid with its images... wonderful really.
thanks so much for this strong entry into the contest.
Kim -
The last stanza is very good- almost that we may smile in recognition of the duvet snatching but then our smile is frozen and we wonder -oh- . Yes.
-
Beautiful take on the given prompt..nicely done
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