tired_goat
tired_goat
Jan 24, 2012

I MAKE MYSELF NUMB WHEN I NEED TO PUNCH HARDER

You took me to the dreamland as
‘little boy’ skipped like a stone
a thousand of them, a shower of stars
dam busters;
I had a headache as if my skull
had fallen off the bus, grazed her knees
on the concrete with daisies
bamboozling through the cracks of the pavement –
I leapt over them
because I read too much A. A. Milne in my childhood.

Now we are eighteen
my smallest toe slips into a crack in the pavement,
and here he comes
somewhere between bear and wolf, standing
as tall as a fire-extinguisher
shot into the sky - a vagrant firework display,
he snatches me, I am flailing
with balloon tears rolling through my beard.

It was yesterday that I may of well been Winston
but you took me up to the old church hill
and through derelict stained glass windows
I witnessed the rapture of cloud ballet
the tangle of a sunset like an octopus double-knotting itself
until it falls, eternally in orbit, around once more
and once more again;
I'd wear sunglasses so thick that
they were slices of brick painted with tar
and you were busy white-washing
all the flavorless rape out of my mouth
so I could taste white nectarine's wet blossom across my pallet.

And now I can stand at their office window
with a mallet,
unaffected
and ready.

About This Poem

Last Few Words: I got arrested a few months ago in regards to the Occupy protests, and met my lover the day after. This is about that.

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - draft

About the Author

Country/Region: AUS

Favorite Poets: E.E. Cummings

More from this author

Comments

William Saint George

This reads like a mature poem. I don't have time yet to explore all the metaphors, but the poem is rich in them. And seeing it was a true story (and a lovely one too), I like this poem more.

But I must say again that I got lost in the forest of metaphors you presented here.

weirdelf

I'm not going to crit this now, I'm going to read your other 2 poems first. Shoot me if you must, I believe in looking at a poets works.

emogothgirl

it seems we have a natural on our hands. very well done. love the subject and the story behind it.
always,
mag

Esker

Esker

13 years 3 months ago

of course nothing like this wonderful colourful
and composed work

liked the threading of imagery much
Now I see what others see in mine
although my writing is sparcer

a long time ago I went against the authorities
whom interested me so much
I was an observer freind at one time
but was taught to singularly go and
trouble them

that was something
articulation is something
of importance on ones feet
and then in a crowd where
there really will not be
a voice..even more something

but it is important that with
the proper talent and work
with words people will listen
people will read and cohesively
link up there is a power in
the human voice the natural
ability to lead through the
beauty and need of voice and
work

William Saint George

"...through derelict stained glass windows
I witnessed the rapture of cloud ballet..."

"...and you were busy white-washing
all the flavorless rape out of my mouth
so I could taste white nectarine's wet blossom across my pallet..."

Are these sexual references in the poem? As I read it over, it looks more like the poem is about sexual fulfillment.