Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Lunatic



Photo: Diego Fernandes 2008

The flaming moon chases my feet
Through that entire slippery world.

I heard some exotic scents lingering
As I climbed toward scattered light.

The odor was flying there yesterday
And tomorrow it will again.

Thoughts slipping and tripping on guilts,
Trailing shadows, pieces of nights I don’t sleep.

I told you my insomnia was back,
At least, I meant to tell you.

All that shadow and light
Keep tearing at my frontiers.

Phantasms fingering the rags
Fluttering from my failings.

It’s like that top I used to have
Just jerk the string and spin.

Every little sound keeps following me
Trying to shoulder out others.

You want to know where
All those guys came from.

You don’t know the poet,
That’s what you said you wanted.

Well, you didn’t use the words “I want”
But people don’t, do they?

Maybe there was some underlying anger
And I didn’t tell you everything.

Naturally, no one tells everything.
No one ever has the time.

The big things really get me,
But it’s the little things that won’t let up.

Intellection cut off somehow,
Orphaned in an overcrowded space.

My scattered mental notes and memory
Stuffed into that one solitary room.

I think it started when I was trying
To reach maximum efficiency.

I pulled everything into that one room,
Everything within an easy arm’s reach.

I always knew there were other spaces,
Other rooms, other places for storage.

After a while though, I forgot about them
Until one day I banged my head on the ceiling.

Yeah, I was sitting at the top
Of my very own midden.

Oh, I invited some in to look around
Tried to interest them in the sights.

But mostly, they’d look around and say,
“Say! Think you could keep something for me?”

And then they’d give me something
I’d given them years ago as a gift.

It’s okay, they’d say with stiff smiles,
I don’t need this anymore.

And I’d stand there stupidly,
Holding a relic of a dead friendship.

Anyway, I banged my head on the ceiling
And there was a kind of booming sound.

Wow, I thought, that’s right!
I forgot there are more rooms in here.

There are other rooms in my house,
I can tell from hollow-sounding knocks.

So I started moving things around,
And there were some very upset sounds.

I found some little side rooms and
Large closets with hanging skeletons.

Then I remembered, really remembered
There was another floor to this place.

Well, right, I thought, of course there is!
And I looked quizzically at the ceiling.

Well, there’s an upper room alright, but
The damn thing’s locked and the key’s lost.

So I wade through all those souvenirs
While I’m looking for a crowbar.

But my long and curious glance keeps
Breaking ground-floor windows.

All those views keep falling inside
Cluttering up the clutter.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

This is beautiful and
It is a pity not to have an audience.
We have to come up with a plan.
First you have to put your blog link into your SU profile - like I did it on mine - if you don't know how I will do it for you :)

lakelady said...

this feels like it want's to be two separate pieces. Nice work though. I want more.

Anonymous said...

O dear me... o, Dear YOU.
Each read brings more... so much there...
Just keep looking for the key, I'm certain it's there somewhere.
Fortitude, sweet Lad.
"Shared joy is increased, shared grief is dimished."
-M~