This is anatomy
in purest form:
bricks of the church where anyone
could have seen
what I saw -
aching dusk
and dripping trees.
I hung my head and tried
to still the shaking heart,
the piano keys
that exhaled instability.
To this day, I clutch
the sheet music to irony,
that frantic smile, and
the paper shudders
against my chest.
Cue quizzicality:
there is a Russian anarchist
on one side,
a hanging savage on the other.
This is no death, but life
such has never been dreamed.
Timing is everything.
Ripeness is all.
I step outside and start
counting bricks and saints.
One saint walks brusquely
and knocks me off the sidewalk; another
begs me for change, or forgiveness,
whichever comes first
and I can't help but smile
1970's sunlight into the eyes
of night
because it's so childishly easy
to find God in the Forest
that I've nearly forgotten
this brave new world.
Author notes
Kudos to Aldous Huxley for the title, and to him, Carl Sagan, Joseph Heller, Mikhail Bakunin, Wake Forest, the church in which I was baptized, and others for the inspiration. Such is life.
A contest entry
- Such is Life by just mercedes.
4000 points, ended December 3, 2008, 37 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
How can I make it better?
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
-
Amazing rush at the end...I could feel the blood moving my veins to ride your surge...wonderful
-
I step outside and start
counting bricks and saints.
One saint walks brusquely
and knocks me off the sidewalk; another
begs me for change, or forgiveness,
whichever comes first
wow.
I can't believe you're only 17.
oh, and I noticed you reference Russia a lot in your writing.
any reasons? -
-
Gee.. I don't know why, really. I guess I just think the entire nation is beautiful in a tragic sort of way, you know? That, and the Russian writer Dostoevsky wrote some of the most amazing short stories ever... I think you would enjoy "White Nights" or "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man"... those are my favorites
-
-
I'll be sure to check them out
-
-
-
there is so much Jacquelynn in this that i love it in an inexplicable way.
everything is kudos to carl sagan, no?
i<3you.
-
-
I <3 you too.... and no, not all of it is going on the Carl Sagan shrine in my closet, but a bit of it is... the "1970's sunlight" and "eyes of night" are, though.
-
-
this is incredible in ways I'm sure you did not even intend
-
Great imagery, a whole library of life. I love the angels/saints in the streets, the other two crucified, and for me the 'brave new world' is spoken with the original cynicism. Thank you for this entry.
-
Wonderful use of imagery!
-
this is really great, i love what you did with the prompt, i knew that you were talking about bakunin when i read about the russain anarchist, this is a great piece with a lot of amazing ideas in it, just fantastic, best of luck in the contest
-
I like this! Excellent work, poet!
Adding your comment:
1 - 11 of 11
