The Fragile Parts
by
life is fragile
and so is love
we think it, say it all the time
tell each other we’re going to
spend more time together, less time
at work/paying bills/reading
other people’s Facebook profiles
drive slower, eat better, love longer
because you never know
what tomorrow will bring
but life gets in the way
and we’re back to the races
not enough hours in the day
to call an old friend let alone
digest our food, savour our wine
say ‘I love you’ first.
It takes a tragedy
to pull us back to the basics,
Three year-old Dies Instantly
Hit by Speeding Car
In Daycare’s Backyard
It takes other people’s problems
Like the couple around the corner
two children under five,
couldn’t arrange their differences,
now arranging custody.
life is fragile
and so is love
of course
you will forget this
in about five minutes
your boss will start
yelling at you or your toddler will
pee on the floor or
your phone bill will arrive and
you’ll wonder why, god damn it, you
got double billed again
you will forget about
the fragile parts
and go on surviving.
(From ‘Where the Butterflies go’)
The Bard on Facebook
by
If he were living today,
would Shakespeare
use Facebook?
Reluctantly and sparingly
or spellbound and addicted?
Imagine his updates:
Will Shakespeare can see a dagger before him.
Will Shakespeare is going to sleep,
perchance, to dream.
Will Shakespeare, now on Twitter, for
the Tweet’s the thing.
(From ‘Leap’)
Thanks for the kind comments everyone.
Brilliant poetry, so good to read you here.
Thank you Neva :)
This is awesome! Great job!!!!!
thank you so much.
Andrew's retelling of the feminine ritual could come right out of The Feminine Mystique. The question is ownership. If the daughter owns her body, men, and other women, will love it and want to merge with it. If a man or woman owns his or her sexuality as a lifelong gift, it can last for decades. Obviously, the poet succeeded in evoking a collision of worlds and spheres.
Thank you Andrew for your comment. I love to see where my pieces are taken by the reader.