20130829

Poem For Dave by Nili Barton


Poem For Dave

now when 
you sleep you
      sleep as 
      deep as
the   space             between 
orion's belt &
the big dipper  
       now              
                      spacemen exist because
    you said so 
    i      said    i 
                                WILL NOT 
betray
                              any myth you
                                                       may have created 
      for yourself           but
                                                          don't start a life 
          you can't finish 
             you're             fruit 
               planted in                       

winter                                           paralysis                                          occurs                                     when 

a loved one dies
& headlight eyes 
shine through
foggy smiles spreading
like highways across 
sad faces

(then someone says
        did you get any
  tears in the pizza?)

& my spirit is sagging 
like plantains rotting
                                      on a windowsill baked
                                         by late summer sun 
                                                 it's friday 
& i'm sagging 
off a barstool holding you
               in my pocket you
           are the flood & you 
        are the life raft & you 

are two feet dancing 
        across an encyclopedia
                              in a
              century ballroom  

the only thing 
left of you is 
your hand 
it is 
my hand too
when something 
ridiculous is said 
you wave 
my hand
in the air
brushing away the 
letters lingering there 
where did
tomorrow run off to 
who did 
yesterday say good-bye to
when is 
today gonna get here
why am i
still cleaning up those 
ridiculous letters
we carelessly brushed to the floor

night                          after                           night                           after                          night                          after





Nili Barton 2012

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