Old Friend

a poem

The night I got your letter

I couldn't get myself to sleep,

and the poems that I gave you

were there for you to keep

The confusion and meaning

of the poetry and prose,

is leading us in circles

of unrequited blows,

soon we'll write between the lines

because our English is in rhyme

and soon we must communicate

 or soon we won't have time,

I love you by another rule,

which isn't much to say,

but if we can't communicate

then I guess I'll stay away,

The twisted rags of fortune

which you may call your fate,

are the twisting of emotions

that are coming far too late,

The anger and frustration

of me - misunderstood

 swapping  the roles we played,

I only wished we could,

I hope you get the meaning

of the letters that I write,

wishing you could read thoughts

I only hope I might.

Reviews

[Eilis]

Writing in rhyme is often like a song, and something I notice about songs is that they can make the most vile or painful things seem upbeat if the tempo and rhythm are right. A lot of 80's pop is about stalking or borderline partner abuse, but it's so catchy that the depth of the obsession or creepiness can almost slip by unnoticed. So much of what we absorb comes down to the way it is said or understood. And if we are talking to each other in ways we don't understand, things can get confusing quickly.

I thought this was great, Dee. I love your line about fate as twisted rags of fortune. It's hardly easy to write in rhyme and create a nuanced poem that isn't a slave to the rhyme scheme. I thought the rhyme here enhanced the idea of miscommunication and feeling alienated because what was being said wasn't being understood. Good stuff.

[Dee Oddbins]

thank you so much, Eilis, yes the art of communication can often be lost in translation, I did think of that Police song when you mentioned 80's pop, every breath you take, lol, thank you for reading