BrokenTune

A few weeks ago I mentioned that one of my ambitions for 2016 was to read more poetry. A few days ago I found a couple of reviews over on GR which recommended Lorde's work.

I have no intention of writing much about my impressions of her poetry or try an interpretation based on the author's life and experience (as if I could). Some of the poems were more tangible than others, but I thought I'd offer up some examples:

COPING

It has rained for five days

running

the world is

a round puddle

of sunless water

where small islands

are only beginning

to cope

a young boy

in my garden

is bailing out water

from his flower patch

when I ask him why

he tells me

young seeds that have not seen

sun

forget

and drown easily.

CONTACT LENSES

Lacking what they want to see

makes my eyes hungry

and eyes can feel

only pain.

Once I lived behind thick walls

of glass

and my eyes belonged

to a different ethic

timidly rubbing the edges

of whatever turned them on.

Seeing usually

was a matter of what was

in front of my eyes

matching what was

behind my brain.

Now my eyes have become

a part of me exposed

quick risky and open

to all the same dangers.

I see much

better now

and my eyes hurt.