Without you I am like the Portuguese in Mergui
who have forgotten their language
but still go to church,
unlike their neighbors, the Salon prates,
who live near the mudbanks
trading pearls for opium.
Without you I am a geopolitical feature
like Lot's wife, who only turned her head
like a doe in the forest
to watch the flaming city
crackle and poof.
Without you I must wait in the neglected park alone,
and though I might need a shoeshine
my bright red sport jacket
lends me the prominence of a woodpecker
and the authority of a rooster.
Without you I have brung a cupcake
for a birthday of Chester Nimitz,
who, reared among the dry hills of Texas,
far from any sea shore,
rose to command the mightiest armada
in the history of the world.
And am I not myself an admiral of the clouds?
As such I now command you to come home.
This is too much. It's not romantic. I feel like the narrator is a stalker.
ReplyDeleteIt's not healthy to depend on one person for your happiness. It's also not fair to the other person. Why should they be the determining factor of your worth as a person.
Narrator, without him/her you have the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson in life. Good luck!
I just got back from watching the new Glass movie (are you a fan of Split and Unbreakable!?!), so this poem hit me with the possible split personality instead of a narration between lovers. Who are we, really, without the other pieces of ourselves?? On poetry blog I call to the Poetess to come forth and to reveal herself! She doesn’t always come...but adores that my other personalities humor poetry as well.
ReplyDelete“I command you to come home [!]”! What is the version of yourself who is most present? Who commands YOUR own life?? I feel like there are a few dominant personalities that I realize within myself...if you start paying attention at how you talk to yourself inside your head you will find them! It is quite curious!
I like that interpretation.
DeleteI remember liking Unbreakable. Helen and I just watched Split and few days ago. Glass had terrible reviews. Is it worth seeing?