Your Thoughts on This
What are you going to wear,
I ask, to determine what I should
wear. You wear a dress, and so
will I. There is solidarity in having
to make our individual choices.
Even flats or heels. Even jacket
or no jacket. My decision rolls
more smoothly if I borrow a bit
of your momentum. I’ll have it
back to you by tomorrow. You,
selecting the best recipe for soup,
omitting garlic and adding cayenne,
knowing how much to prepare
because you have decreed it.
How close together should the
letters be. Do you throw away
food you’ve let go bad, your
rotten good intentions. How many
scoops of coffee and how much
water, gasoline in the car today
or tomorrow, the Check Engine
light investigated or unchecked.
because you asked:
ReplyDeletei am a do it myselfer.
my wife does her parts.
we help each other when asked.
we both step over the line,
we're human, aren't we all?
So pleased you were inspired by Zoey Frank's paintings. She's great.
ReplyDeleteLove the title and especially the line "Do you throw away / food you've let go bad, your/ rotten good intentions." It's in just the right place in the poem. Good read!
This is so so good. I LOVE this line.
ReplyDeleteMy decision rolls
more smoothly if I borrow a bit
of your momentum.
The other day I tried to start a conversation about the mysterious people to whom we give authority about this or that. It went nowhere. Maybe I'm the only one who does it, but it's nice to hear you sort of sharing that feeling. I wonder if my table mates really didn't know what I was talking about, or just had a hunch that the topic could lead them into areas of vulnerability.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that near the core of what confessional writing does--make us uncomfortable by leading us or forcing us into vulnerability? Maybe that's darker than your poem is, but aren't we in the same (large) ball park?
Your words reminded me of an old friend of mine. We used to consult one another over the phone each evening before meeting up to listen to live music. Eyeliner or no? Jeans or skirt? Boots or heels? Once again, you've evoked an old memory out of me. Thank you. Love.
ReplyDeleteLove love love the , 'Check Engine Light'. My wife and I have been bantering about this for the last couple of years. I keep telling her I've opened the hood lQQked in it and can't find the light on inside the engine.
ReplyDelete