δΈͺ
(heads up! listen to the poem here)
pretty waitress perfect of fools
she’s a lovely cold sculpture, marble nude with her head cut
off
a sexartwar reality keeps the rattle snake that bit her
in a peanut butter jar, like voodoo
she’s a painting of a painting, a revlon reproduction
venus on the half-shell, phosphorus and effervescent, arms
wide like
happy hour and everybody’s glow in the dark expectations
coming
true
she wears a uniform of fingerprints, her angels in aprons
overshadowed
by dogs playing poker, howling her
attention
she cleans up and collects whatever beerbelly heroes will
spare
nickels quarter dimes, her rent money jingles
she’s a time-traveling daydream, her mind leaping thru
wormholes
body serving smiles here, head swimming in future grace
on long bus rides she rearranges mental furniture (symbolic
sofas
in relation to symbolic windows, grand pianos on top of
glass coffee tables
on top
of brass buddha candle holders)
acrobats
and ballet daredevils
she stuffs her soul into shoes too small, stretches her body
into double shifts
overtime in underground nightclubs, basements full of
hey-dudes
and
hey-bros in hey-ho-lets-roll rattlesnake bliss
licking
each syllable- hey girl
you-wanna-git-wit-thissssssssssssssssssssss?
she’s
twenty-seven now, still standing in a doorway, evolving
revolving in and out of fear and doubt and circles of dead
inception (sex-
art-war-sex-art-war-sex-art-war-sex-art-war-sex-
art
war)
see her scrubbing tables? see her bleaching her reflection?
scratching thru the surface the varnish comes unglued, see
her
wash away? the moment splits in two, a small voice becomes
urgent like
some twisted edvard munch screaming
screwthissceneiwantout!
put the wardrobe back on the mannequin
pose it in the kitchen, the display window
back up
on the pastry tray
slip out of her mona lisa cage
where the black earth washes her feet
turning stone back to flesh
winter-thawed and summer-bound
aprilish
singing reunited gaia-heart
(i am universe
i am
universe
i
am
uni
verse)
see her holding the moon in her hands?
perfect
of poets and fools
posted for the open mic at: D'verse
Oh my, this is an incredible piece. Also, Happy 30 years! That's amazing. I wish to write poetry even half as long as that. :D That's absolutely incredible.
ReplyDeleteBut wow, this poem stirs some emotions out of me. It's like plastering a face to the world, day in day out, and then trying to find yourself in different things. You think if it's you, are you happy? But if it is not, then what is it? What do people not look through? Perhaps it's like finding yourself but people only see the facade and when you look past it (as the host), it's almost misery. Just my interpretation here, of course. I see some identity themes raveling throughout here too and I love this. The figurative imagery, the prose, it's stunning and beautifully executed.
I'm going to bookmark this so I can read it again and again, it's just that good. :D
thank you lucy, those are very kind words, glad you enjoyed this
DeleteBittersweet portrait of one of those angels of song, revered of poets and drunks who are (were) sometimes both (guilty). Tuff lot for the modern monalisas! But growing deeper is ever the salvation for muse and poem. Lots of poetry selves along the way and poems like these are handy mirrors for reflecting on that. (My link dates back to 2002). Congrats on decades of the craft - more to come.
ReplyDeletethanks brendan, glad you enjoyed this.
DeletePerfect of poets and fools! I love the images you have created here. I hope your heroine one day learns to write her own poetry :-) Congratulations on 30 years of poetry yourself!
ReplyDeletethank you ingrid, glad you enjoyed this, and i didn't get to your poem last night but i will get there tonight, thanks again
DeleteLoving this post....and congratulations to you on thirty years of poetry.
ReplyDeleteAlthough dVerse is listed in the side column of your blog listed on My Blog List....there is no tag to dVerse or mention of dVerse at the end of your poem. I think you simply forgot to list it in the celebration of your accomplishments? Could you please add a tag or line at the end of your post that indicates you've posted it to OLN at dVerse (https://dversepoets.com? That is a requirement here at dVerse. I'll check back a bit later to insure you've made that correction. AND ... so happy to celebrate this accomplishment with you!
hi Lillian, sorry about that, i didn't read all the way the posting rules, my bad. i have the link posted now, let me know if i did it right. thanks again.
DeleteNo problem. Yes, it's there now. Many thanks and so glad to see you at dVerse!
DeleteCongrats on 30 years!!!! Never stop writing, the world would be a mighty dull place.
ReplyDeletehi helen, glad you liked this, and thanks for the encouragement =)
DeletePhillip,
ReplyDeleteCarried away by this tour de force! It reminds me so much on Ginsberg and Kerouac, this primal howl of "the pretty waitress perfect of fools" even though tracked by the poets and the fools for whom she holds the moon in her hands!
Happy celebration of 30 years of writing poetry! ��
pax,
dora
thank you dora, ginsberg and kerouac and all the beats really, are my favorite, so i take that as a huge compliment, thank you!
DeletePhillip, yes, you should be proud of this — excellent writing! It holds the truth of a life of struggle…
ReplyDeletethank you rob, a life of struggle, yes. so glad you liked this
DeleteLots of great lines in this, I especially loved (perhaps because I spent many a year in the same said sad situation) "Her rent money jingles" -- happy 30th in poetry. ~peace, Jason
ReplyDeleteyes, if your rent money has ever jingled then youre an american hero in my book. thank you jason
Deleterichly textured character study. so many women have been crammed into this mold, against their wills. despite all of that, their spirit beats strong. how could one survive otherwise...
ReplyDeleteHappy 30 Year Anniversary of Writing Poetry.
" how could one survive otherwise..." so true, thank you jadeli
DeleteA tour deforce! Love the originality! JIM
ReplyDeletethank you jim, glad you liked
DeleteWow ... 30 years that's amazing. I am soon ten years of writing, I love the description and how yo managed to capture her both from the emotions (and lust) she evokes and the sad side of her dreams that cannot be found from collecting the tips.
ReplyDeletethank you sir, so glad you enjoyed this
DeletePoetry is for life.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautifully written
Love this
poetry is for life... true dat! thank you digidaddy, glad you enjoyed this
Deletethis is a beautiful ode for poetry. really good. really good.
ReplyDeletethank you, so glad you enjoyed this
DeleteA stunning vivid poem, Phillip, as if I'm watching a scene from a film play out and I want to know what happens next :-) There's always so much more to the waiter and waitress, isn't there? They always see so much, they hear everyone's stories, they put up with the ugliness of human nature, it's a fascinating perspective. I love these lines:
ReplyDelete"she wears a uniform of fingerprints, her angels in aprons overshadowed
by dogs playing poker, howling her attention" /
"she’s a time-traveling daydream, her mind leaping thru wormholes
body serving smiles here, head swimming in future grace" <3
thank you sunra, "There's always so much more to the waiter and waitress" yes! i like to think i'm a semi-pro people watcher, and its the waiters and waitress', people like that, who i find the most interesting, and the most "poem-worthy". thanks again, glad you liked.
DeleteI'd say something foolish like 30 is the new something or other, but new math, who needs it? I'm just glad to have stumbled across your writing, Phillip. Your voice is authentic and sharp as an ocean wind intent on waking you ~
ReplyDeletethank you grapeling, those are huge compliments, hope i can live up to them someday =)
Delete