Monday, June 18, 2007

Marly says one never stops revising (or something like that)

IN THE SEPIA PHOTOGRAPHS OF HAPPINESS

In the sepia photographs of happiness

you stand in your unaccustomed suit

married now to the heart of a new city

wearing an orchid on your lapel


We think it will last, happiness

You told me of that boyhood

shooting arrows, killing doves, brown

& sweaty among the lathered horses


When you squinted at the sun

shadows fell behind us. It’s the church

of high noon, the dazzled orchard now, &

yes, I too grew up. It’s a dizzy toss


rice and confetti, bullets & roses

your scheduled seductions

In my high cabin I repeat

the voluptuous histories of light


where morning jewels the clouds

glinting like pigeon feathers, my soft life

still iridescent, shattered, & still warm



(somewhere on her own Palace at 2:00am blog she noted that..that a poem isn't ever quite finished. Marly Youmans, that is. Now, as for this one...well, some things are still not quite there...a bit too precious at some corners, and perhaps a bit too...well, I don't know. But I like parts a bunch. )

2 Comments:

At June 19, 2007 10:35 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

It would be nice and easy if time passed and there seemed nothing to change, every syllable right, but it doesn't work that way for me.

I like what you do with the glistening pigeons and "you," via time's metamorphosis. And it's funny but if you have arrows and doves and love in a poem, there's always something there that would interest the ultimate boy with arrows, Eros, and his Psyche.

Thanks for the blog-honor!

 
At June 20, 2007 3:30 PM , Blogger Jan said...

THis is both beautiful and moving.
Your images are delicious....the church of high noon, the dazzled orchard..

 

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