The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Fri 7/14/06)

[RetroLounge]

The Ex

In the placable air of long dissolved discord, we wait
with our daughter, days overdue, our single shared
goodness. She carries our first grandchild.

In thirty years, not a word has tiptoed across
the continent between us. We've led vastly different
lives. He's not unkind, only holds a dizzying number

of opinions. Like bombarding mosquitoes they fly in
and out of range. Across my face I draw a tight mask
of passive acquiescence. The skeleton underneath

threatens to grin, but he's the one who's dying—
of AIDS and its complications—the effeminate,
virginal boy I married when I was twenty-two.

Can anything be said to those we betrayed and
abandoned? Neither of us knew ourselves; each
feared we'd be desroyed by the other's needs.

That fear seems exorbitant from here, and pointless,
yet I remember staggering about for weeks feeling
as though a beast were daily ripping the sternum

out of my chest. We shred our nerves against the grate
of one another's youthful insecurities. Weak, slight,
vulnerable, only his voice is unchanged—

I must have loved its sound once! Maybe, strangely,
in the unreckonable realm of human life—our daughter's
and her child's—whoever we marry is ours forever.

And in some sense he is mine, and I almost want him,
but only out of pity, or forgotten guilt. All the dross
that had to go was long since skimmed off. Here

we are, his once-wife, my once-husband, the child
we made who is with child, this summer evening's
sterling light and the mystery of how each moment

goes on and on and holds us present until the last.

Gray Jacobik

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

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[idgiehkt]

1. that's really, really beautiful

I like it cause it reads like something that has rhyme and meter (maybe meter, not sure) but it really doesn't; it's so communicative that it can get away without the bells and whistles. I think this kind of 'confessional' poetry is really hard to do well because it's so personal but this is very gripping. thanks.

[SeattleGirl]

2. That is a great piece, RL.

I could picture these two people sitting together, after the longest time apart, and sense that he has musings much the same as hers.

[txwhitedove]

3. Wow, deeply felt.

[BlueIris]

4. Thanks, Retro. I was starting to hurt for a new author.

:-)

[swimboy]

5. Mmmm.

the mystery of how each moment

goes on and on and holds us present until the last.


wave-particle
position-direction

we can't hold onto the moments, but they hold us forever

:hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Ah, my dear Retro........

How beautiful......and sad.

Looking back at a relationship that is no longer alive.....

But somehow is remembered for its love and loss.....

And is remembered too for the child it produced....and for the coming grandchild.....

Hard to explain its attraction to me.........but there it is.

Thank you.......

[RagingInMiami]

7. What a coincidence

I just finished a short poem called "Ode to the Ex" which I plan on reading next Friday at a open mike venue in Miami.

It was the lies and the guys that made me realize that this relationship was going nowhere fast

Not to say that there was no love because at times our lives were so alive with a love that can’t be denied

But there was no respect and that is what I resent and that is why I left and although you may repent, I still have very little regrets.

But there are times when I miss you and I want to kiss you

And there are times I wonder if I’ll ever replace you

And those are the times I think of what you said to me in Idaho

"I think George Bush is a hero"

And, girl, you know my tolerance for that is zero.

[lizziegrace]

8. ...

Funny, out daughter is the only thing that keeps me and my ex communicating at all. I don't look forward to spending her college graduation, wedding and perhaps the birth of a grandchild with him. Her HS graduation was hard enough to last a lifetime.

:(

I don't want him back - ever. I just don't want to share the life-changing events with him. Does that make me a bitch?

Didn't mean to drone on. This poem really hit me.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. No, my dear lizziegrace........

It does not make you a bitch.......

You are simply protecting yourself.......

And that is a good thing!

[wildhorses]

9. .....

:cry:














so beautifully sad and yet hopeful in the end...ain't time a funny thing?

[RetroLounge]

11. Wow, rereading this one, it is really pretty powerful...

I love finding a new author/poet. I have to look for more of his work...

Glad to see some strong reaction to this one.

Thanks all you guys for visiting my threads, you make it worth it to keep posting these.

:hug:

RL

[lizziegrace]

12. Thanks for taking the time to post the thread every day

:hug: and thanks...

[RetroLounge]

15. My pleasure...

:hug:

RL

[bluethruandthru]

13. A great poem!

I've never really taken the time to read the daily poem thread...but I will now. I used to read alot of poetry, but life sometimes intrudes on those kinds of pleasures. This reminded me how much I enjoy poetry. Thank you!

[RetroLounge]

14. You are welcome!

and glad to have you here on the thread!

:hi:

RL