Saturday, May 10, 2008

After fall (new-ish) by JKD

after "Falling" by Patrick Phillips, from Boy (U of GA Press, read on today’s writers’ almanac by Garisson Keillor) (click here & scroll down to May 10th to hear/see poem) I took the poem and added much (though not all) of the column to the right, just to see…

The truth is.....................so easily, years
that I fall in love...............I’ve become younger

so easily because..............time beckons your eyes
it's easy. It happens...........backwards as in autumn

a dozen times some days......lovely, women in the world,
I've lived whole lives,...........but because each time,

had children,.....................dying in their arms
grown old, and died............I call your name.

in the arms of other women....voices, eyelines, thigh
in no more time..................I will come back to one

than it takes the 2-train.........this you, this time again
to get from City Hall.............the auburn of leaves

to Brooklyn,.......................or your hair glimpsed
which always brings me..........where would I be strolling

back to you:.......................along Madison avenue
the only one.......................if not always towards you

I fall in love with..................again it is as if once
at least once every day—.........seen is once taken

not because........................stopped in my tracks
there are no other.................for you there, yellowing leaf

1 comment:

Amanda Deutch said...

Jen,

This is beautiful, "A dozen times some days, I've lived whole lives."

simple but essentially killer. You nailed something.