Reincarnations

If I could any animal

Become postmortem, I

Would like to be a fish, and drift

About low tides and high.

 

They’ll lure you with their baited hooks,

They’ll trap you in their trawls.

They’ll sear you in their pots and pans,

And stick your scales on shawls.

 

If I could any animal

Become postmortem, I

Would like to be a bird, and fly

Across the boundless sky.

 

They’ll fell and devastate your home,

They’ll taint and blight your air.

They’ll strip you of your feathering

To stuff the winter wear.

 

If I could any animal

Become postmortem, I

Would like to be a deer, and run

Through thicket, glade, and rye.

 

They’ll blind you with their beaming lights,

They’ll limit where you roam.

They’ll hunt you on Thanksgiving Day,

And hang your head at home.

 

If I could any animal

Become postmortem, I

Would like to be a cat, and dwell

With comfort ever by.

 

They’ll carelessly step on your tail,

They’ll seldom heed your mews.

They’ll amputate your private parts,

And poke you as you snooze.

 

Then there’s not any animal

Without a threat in life-

Not even humans are exempt

From hazards, harm, and strife.

 

Thus if I any animal

Become postmortem, I

Would merely want to be with you,

For, then, I’ll never die.

-EDP

Reviews

[beckyflowa]

The ending to this poem is so beautiful. It completely catches you off guard, a wonderful conclusion!

[emipoemi]

So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

[C.E.M.]

Okay but the RHYME SCHEME and even just the rhythm was so playful! And honestly, hopeful! You used it well. My only note; scarring something until it bruises (referencing the line about being a cat p.s. I own a male cat, poor thing had his nuts cut off right away) doesn't quite make sense... if you scar something, wouldn't it be scarred instead of bruised? You could replace scar with another 1 syllable violence verb; kick would work! Wack. Hit. Smack. Lots of options. Also, such a nitpick so don't sweat it too much; the poem is so entertaining and the message is super clear.

[emipoemi]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the poem!! Thank you so much! I understand what you're saying, but my usage of "scar" has a double meaning (this is a bit absurd). So, yes, scars don't bruise, but I'm also using "scar" as in to be scarred, and that can leave a bruising effect on someone as well as a scar. I'm very witty with my word choices, so it's always best to be on one's guard. I own a male cat too! You can learn more about him in my poem entitled "Mouse". Again, thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.

[wordman]

but we do never die,loved the theme of the write

[emipoemi]

Glad you did. Thanks for reading.

[wordman]

my pleasure

[GwenLark]

The last stanza s so beautiful.
I can hear the longing and devotion.
It made me feel so whole

[emipoemi]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[H L Rose]

While I probably take this poem way more spiritually than intended, I’m absolutely in love with the last couple lines.

The poem as a whole is very effective with each statement and response in order to drive the point home that any new life as something else falls short until the last statement that has no response and does not fall short.
It kind of reads as a processing of thoughts and reasonings until coming to the ultimate truth at the end.

I enjoyed it!

[emipoemi]

If you read closer, though, you'd see that it's actually two voices, hence the ending is what it is. But thanks for reading! So glad you enjoyed it.

[H L Rose]

That makes sense every other stanza does read as a response as it’s tone is contradictory to the one before it. A response definitely makes the relationship displayed by the last couple lines seem stronger.

[alanwgraham]

Your poem is quite deceptive. It seems, a first, a fishy tale. with lots of laughs. But then, creeps up, some serious stuff. Not fish nor fowl escapes your sights, we humans guilty of these creature's plights. Alas your final conclusion, within my noggin bred confusion. I've pondered hard, I think I see, that postmortem you'll be with me?
Excellent, witty and wise!
Alan

[emipoemi]

where's the confusion exactly? Look at the pronouns in the respective stanzas: "If I could....." and then "They'll [blank] you....." There's some back and forth between two voices. Who they are is your interpretation. But I'm glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading.

[Crowley]

This is a very cool way to make this point. We spend our lives thinking of things we would rather be because we think that would make us happy, not seeing the reality of the other path. Then there are others looking at our path the same way. It is patently ridiculous. the last stanza pounds the point home. Great piece of writing. I enjoyed it.

[emipoemi]

So glad you did. Thanks for reading.

[olympiuslu]

Both an interesting and unique topic explored here. I really liked the use of repetition as I feel like it made the poem overall more powerful as it reinforced the message you were trying to get across. I also love the use of contrasts between human and animal and how there is a deeper meaning running below this poem, very clever!

[emipoemi]

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[TwistedTwins]

I actually thought this poem was rather deep. You hear people everyday talking what animal they would be/become if they could and realistically it's not all sunshine and rainbows existing in the same time as humans. The ending was rather sweet as well. Living forever in someone's heart/love couldn't be more romantic!

[emipoemi]

Indeed, love cannot, and such a sentiment is what I was going for in this poem! Thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed it!

[Rachel Richardson]

I really enjoyed the repetition within these verses. Keeping the first two lines the same in every other stanza really helped give this poem a sturdy backbone. I may be wrong, but I gathered from this that there is too much pain and suffering on Earth to ever choose the path of reincarnation. If that is what you meant, I fully respect that. Personally, I am looking forward for the day when i can have a fresh start and maybe live the life I was intended to live. I also appreciate that you pointed out all the ways that humans can be destructive but reeled it in by aknowledging that they also "must suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." Overall, I loved this poem.

[emipoemi]

What I think readers should do when they read my work is once they come to the final couple of lines, to go over it again with them in mind, for they usually contain the key to understanding the poem. Yes, I do imply that there's so much pain and suffering, as you say, that it's hard to choose what to come back as, but the whole of a poem is an absurd exchange between two people, at the end of which there's the realization that "ok, so if there's all this pain and suffering, if I'm to come back as anything, so long as I'm with you [referring to the other voice in the poem] I'll never die". (I fully enjoyed you use of the Hamlet reference....truly, if you have a good eye for references, then you would really get some good kicks out of my work, for I tend to make references a lot). Glad you enjoyed it.