a poet deliberates on her lover's cliche

heaven will not
move through determination

nor earth shift
upon your insistence

beautiful man,
     if only i could wrap sure fingers
     around your offerings

        wear them like
        an amulet against the smooth
        skin of my wrist and
        gather myself more fully to your vision

but i am a poet
and see with different eyes

 i've suspended time
 beneath a birch
 to better memorize
 the frenetic voice of an eagle

 delved deeply in the textured scream of his dive-
       delivered myself
       like a trout
       to his talons

i've held static wind
in my grasp
just to absorb
it's insistent thrum

i've strangled the life
         from a perfect moment
         so i could later
         unclench and recount it on paper

a different sort,
we poets
rarely recant careful observation
 or detach ourselves willingly from a grand scheme

try as i may
i can not see
the bend of promise in your words-

or recognize an inexplicable
                  longing in myself

Reviews

[~ Stefanie ~]

This is stunning! Loved it!

[The Winter Grey]

Laymen and scholars have for centuries debated over the theory of perfection. Can anything be considered truly, transcendently flawless? Regardless of where one might stand on such a theory, I for one would like to state that this particular poem comes very close. At once inspiring, whithering, and painfully blistering, you have outdone yourself. Almost defiantly so. You haven't so much captured a snapshot of what it means to be a poet, a writer... you have utterly embodied it. My lauding is insufficient. You are more than talented, you're a true artist.

[Thea]

The poem is flawless...The flow is just amazing...I like the imagery...A very impressive piece...
:)))

[Hachamecha]

i like it. the flow of the words is nice.

[Ness of Love]

I really like this, and I like all the words you used and how they flowed perfectly

[Sometimes Blood]

liked this a lot

[Kim]

Such an intriguing write here,
ponderful as well.
I enjoyed this immensely!

[Richard Layne]

Nailed it! i have felt this way myself and felt guilty about it. Excellent work! i love the fact that you are non judging though with the "beautiful man" line. Sometimes we do see things differently! if i were to make one constructive critique (and that is why we joined this site right?) i would cut out the stanza starting "we poets"--although the wording and sentiment is right on, i think it stands apart from the rest of the poem. All in all in or out--excellent job!

[Me]

Absolutely perfect flow. inspired imagery - very engaging and unusual

[A. L. Allen]

Very beautiful imagery. I love how you described the poet and how it all tied in together with the whole plot.
Nicely done.