The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sun 11/23/2008)

[RetroLounge]

I Buy Dying Flowers

        ---- For John Mark, 2002–2004

scoop them from their discount pail
like old laundry: petals fall
to the high-wax floor like a trail
of forgotten underwear,
that one sock.

And that soupy reflection
carrying full-blown roses, tulips
smooth as worn baseball gloves—
who am I kidding

cradling those soft-stems,
handing the cashier $4.75 for more
than two dozen heavy-headed,
hump-necked, half-life flowers?

At home I slide scissors through plastic
with one sweep, pull out flowers,
slightly slimy, and snip the ends
on the diagonal.

For days I watch them swell through
their earlobe curve and drop
into vase water, petal
by petal. They do what they do.
Nothing sad about it.

Leslie St. John

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

:hi:

RL

[lizziegrace]

1. ...

:hug:

"They do what they do."

[RetroLounge]

2. Good Morning Columbus!

:hug:

RL

[lizziegrace]

3. ...

:hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. the circle of life

Nothing Sad About It :donut: :hi:

[RetroLounge]

5. I see it about the death of a child...

It's dedicated to a 2 yr old who died.

All her metaphors in the beginning are things she'll never experience with him.

That part is sad, but yes, I see the circle of life too.

:hi:

RL

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. how did I miss the dedication...

did not even see that line...I blame the lack of caffeine :D

no wonder I did not see the sadness. Ironic.

[RetroLounge]

7. Cafeine before Poetry...

Good rule to live by...

:hi:

RL

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. Just goes to show you how important each word is in poetry.

One line (or the lack of, in this case) can change the meaning of the entire poem. The irony is apparent in that line. Without it, the poem is completely different. Thanks for pointing it out to me.

[RetroLounge]

9. I've begun to focus on titles also

A change of title can change an entire poem.

I had a poem I workshopped at Sarah Lawrence and it just wasn't working for me.

I talked later to another poet about it and he read it and suggested a title change.

When I came up with a better title, the entire poem changed meaning and emotion.

:hi:

RL

[Chorophyll]

16. I was wondering.

Couldn't bring myself to ask. :(

[RetroLounge]

21. That's just my guess...

but makes sense to me...

:hi:

RL

[Chorophyll]

10. ...

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

11. Good Morning...

Who's that in your avatar?

:hi:

RL

[Chorophyll]

17. Patti Smith. :)

[RetroLounge]

18. Ah, nice...

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear Retro!

Well, I saw all these posts, and I thought I have to come see what all the hubbub is about!

This is a lovely and sad poem...

"Nothing sad about it."

Except losing a child is very sad...

Seems to me that this poem expresses the poet's need and attempt to overcome that sadness...

Thank you...

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

15. ...

:hi:

RL

[BlueIris]

13. Nice. And spooky (I was just thinking about two poets I know who were obsessed with

dead flowers). Mind-meld?

[RetroLounge]

20. GMTA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ki2daAPp_k

:hi:

RL

[Heidi]

14. One of my big secrets is

that I buy flowers for myself once a week during my three hours in hell (grocery shopping). We're far from wealthy and there are many times I can't really justify buying flowers for my studio, but sometimes I just empathize with them and want to give them a better home than an ugly vase in the florist's department. I might add that I don't really care how stupid and touchy feely this sounds. :hi:

[Chorophyll]

19. I think it's a wonderful thing to do.

And not stupid or touchy feely at all.

[RetroLounge]

22. I've done that for myself too.

Nothing wrong with that at all...

:hi:

RL