Friday, May 21, 2010

What Began as an Apology

I summed you up
                in ten pages, as many
                secondary sources, your craft
                synopsized, an A-grade term paper,

but I am unsure
                of what to make of this
                moment: the particular purse
                of your lips, the over-emphasized syllables

made monstrous
                by microphone,
                some proof that you––
                like the rest of us––squint unflatteringly

under the wide-
                eyed spotlight. You pause
                and the static makes the sound
                of flowers uprooted from soft earth.

Prompt via Bigtentpoetry.org

7 comments:

Tumblewords: said...

Nice work - I particularly like 'static makes the sound/of flowers uorooted from soft earth'. Nice!!

Deb said...

Wow Nathan, this is tremendous! Allowing those two words to carry the weight was a smart move. I like the structure of the stanzas, how the hanging lines can read as a poem all on their own.

That last line is particularly gorgeous.

Gemma Wiseman said...

"squint unflateringly" - like the harsh spotlight sponges all sensibility! A refreshingly creative poem!

Anonymous said...

a great use of "purse" as in lips! Interesting poem.

Unknown said...

Hi Nathan -- glad I found your poem..I love the layout of your poem as well as the story you told. Especially liked the "syllables//made monstrous/by microphone..."

The end? Luscious...I don't believe I've ever read a more poetic description of how that static sounds...brilliant!

http://lindagoin.com/

Anonymous said...

i like the form of this -- how you've arranged the stanzas, emphasizing the lines on margin (i even liked reading them alone as their own poem)

Joyce Ellen Davis said...

Enjoyed this a lot! I agree with comments made about your last three lines. Nice work!