II.
I was told to wash my hands
before coming in. They looked
clean to me, but I learned
why they call it gray water,
and that sterility has a scent
––no, an odor–– like
formaldehyde, but nothing
like formaldehyde; of
preservation, of keeping
the natural course of things
at bay. We have never been
particularly good at talking
about death, but if I am
a new self, given seven
years to shed (even now,
my sunburned shoulder peeling
in ragged bits, broken skin
on my damp palms raised
and white from scrubbing),
are you?
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7 comments:
Nathan, I like this poem a lot, just can't pin down the exact why of that. Perhaps the teasing sense of a glimpse of something not quite mentioned but there all the time. I like the concept of sterility having an odor, that is like, but not like. Lots of little tangents, and yet a focused movement toward an already accepted destiny.
Elizabeth
"...of keeping
the natural course of things
at bay."
Fantastic lines, felt like the heart of the poem to me. Love the lyrical language here.
"Seven years to shed"...I just love the idea of being "reborn" avery 7 years...good read here!
Seven years was also the time span between Years of the Jubilee, in which all debts were forgiven in the ancient Middle East. That's a skin shedding I think we could all latch onto.
Also, not to get too religious here, but your definition got me thinking, the Revelation of John was written in code to get it past that Roman soldiers. That's why it's filled with so much outrageous imagery; cryptic.
This moved me. Thanks. Amy
I've tried to write about that 7-year-renewal myself, but this is fine.
I like the idea of having to be cleansed (and secents/odors -- using embalming fluid to say so much -- and to sting the nose) before coming into contact with the mysterious text, and how that text could be so many, many things.
d
http://stoneymoss.org
Intriguing, fascinating and nicely poemed. A fine read with a lingering sense of processing. Nice.
Wow! This is amazing, Nathan! I particularly liked these words:
an odor,,,/,,, of / preservation, of keeping / the natural course of things / at bay.
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