The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Fri 1/6/06)

[RetroLounge]

The Portrait

My mother never forgave my father
for killing himself,
especially at such an awkward time
and in a public park,
that spring
when I was waiting to be born.
She locked his name
in her deepest cabinet
and would not let him out,
though I could hear him thumping.
When I came down from the attic
with the pastel portrait in my hand
of a long-lipped stranger
with a brave moustache
and deep brown level eyes,
she ripped it into shreds
without a single word
and slapped me hard.
In my sixty-fourth year
I can feel my cheek
still burning.

Stanley Kunitz

************************

A Request from bigwillq...

RL

[wildhorses]

1. I think I have read this one before

how old was he when she slapped him?

[RevCheesehead]

2. I believe childhood wounds are the deepest of all.

For those who are parents, please be sure to hug your kids today! :hug:

Morning, sweetie! :hug::loveya:

[RetroLounge]

8. I Hug them everyday, many times

many mnay times.

:hug:

RL

[bigwillq]

3. I know it's depressing as hell but

I think the writing is brilliant, especially that last line.

Thanks for posting this! :hi: :hug:

[threehensandacow]

4. good morning

yeah, some things seem to last a lifetime. unfortunately, it's usually those that hurt the most. why is that? and i'm hugging my kid today. and all the other kids that i'll be seeing. hell, i think i'll be giving everyone a hug today. because, why not? someone out there needs one. i know i do. and i'm sure you do. big big hugs to you. i'll learn the virtual hug eventually.

[RetroLounge]

7. It's easy to learn

Type a colon : , followed by the lower case hug followed by another colon :

: hug : with no spaces gets you this :hug:

or you can just time-travel back to me...

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Thank you, my dear RetroLounge...

For this enigmatic poem....

You might think you understand it....till you probe under its surface.

Then it gets murky.....

Still, it bears thinking on.....and it is beautiful!

Thank you

My heart goes out to you for your grief and loss ........


:loveya: :hug:

[swimboy]

6. It IS brilliant. Thanks, bigwillq!

Many things in childhood stay with you forever. And some things you lose.

[RetroLounge]

9. Evening Kick

:kick:

RL

[djeseru]

10. Oooh, the chills....

I've been through this before: my mother's "shut-up" still echoes thirty years later.

Which is why I'm so silent still.

Thank you for this one today. Yet another to let me know I'm never the only one who feels this way.

[khashka]

11. Thanks RL and thanks to bigwillq for the request

It's such an evocative poem.

A prof once told me a good poem was "a moment reflected in contemplation". I told him a good poem get's inside your guts, get's inside your head. This one does both.

Khash.

[redqueen]

12. Yowza.

I really can't handle all this.

[RetroLounge]

13. .

:hug:

RL