Swimming with Woolf

Swimming with Woolf

 

The Ohio River ran muddy and cool,

Smooth against burlap, humid heat

(starchy, scratchy suffocation). Water

Washed against rocky shore

Calling softly, beckoning with lapping hands.

Unsatisfied with skipped rocks, branches,

Ohio gulped them down with gargling burp,

Waiting, anticipating more.

I waded in.

 

The Ohio ran muddy

And I could not see hand

Or arm or foot or neck below�"

I was floating head, bobbing.

Treading water churned thoughts

Too clouded to perceive form

From flow. Spurred aching heartbeats.

Nagging bumps and pressing ice-touches

Pulled from beneath, coaxing,

Grabbing at legs, running up thighs,

They pulled from below and I shivered

Because I did not know, could not see:

Could only anticipate�"not know.

The river was muddy and cool

And I was muddy and cool; was river.

I dove in, conceding.

 

Underneath surface, brown and clear

Swirled uncertainly in filtered light gleams,

And I saw you swimming and singing,

Collecting submerged Kroger shopping carts.

You fitted each one together, linking

Their separate bodies in neat and ordered rows,

Connecting.

The Ohio was cool and you looked blue

Beneath billowing white gown

(40s design) concealing body like flashy scales.

You ferried the carts to their proper resting place.

 

You sang a longing song as you worked:

“Come find me,

Beneath the mulberry tree.”

And tears leaked down your bloated face,

Falling on swollen body and metal carts.

You cried while you swam�"

No amount of stones could weigh tears down.

 

I sang, too, same song

And you looked up, smiling with skeletal teeth,

And left cart abandoned to join me.

We sang and you showed me your heart

Through rent in dress

And it was large and grey, whole.

You showed me brain through broken skull

And it was intact, slightly fishbitten.

 

And you showed me manuscripts

You wrote below rippling river surface:

Stacks and stacks among city junk and debris.

You sighed, pointing at these, saying: “Must.”�"

You wrapped your arms around me, pressing it into me,

Whispering it in my ear, “Must.”

You gave me a stone from your pocket,

Let go.

 

Oppression, depression, death, and World War II

Had not damaged you

And life flowed on and swept you away.

You swam and collected carts, wrote

And sang because it was unavoidable

Under any circumstances�"even absolutes

Because of must.

 

I stayed as long as lungs allowed;

Waited until they stung�"screamed:

“Must! Must! Must!”

I waved to you and you called, “Must” again,

Smiling, sang it and waved it off

With the flicking of finger-bones hand,

Turning back to your work.

 

So, I surfaced from cool, muddy water

Into suffocating heat.

I took beach, than shore, than sky

In arms and put off singing

Because body was not swelled,

Fingers still had flesh

(brain and heart still whole).

 

River water rolled out of mouth

And ears and eyes, spilt out of hair,

Dripped from clothes.

I was not muddy or cool;

I steamed in summer heat, burning:

Not river.

 

Turning, I watched Ohio toil on�"

Medium of submersion and surfacing,

Still prisoner of must, inescapable:

Pervading across time and space,

Dimensions and all possibilities.

Must reached surface, plunged down

And found sunken Virginia, pressed her on

Regardless of weight of world and stones.

Must reached me on shore,

Swimming in heart beating,

Lungs breathing, base functions proceeding:

Sickly necessary pleasures, pulling.

I slid Virginia’s stone into pocket

Feeling its remembrance weight�"petty burden�"

And walked out into Earth and universe-continuum.

Author's Note

This piece seems unfinished to me. I seems like it's still missing something. Any ideas or critics or advice are welcome.

Thanks!

Reviews

[Green]

I think where you left off was great. It has a certain amount of suspense to it about what's going to happen after this but its a good kind of suspense.
The imagery was amazing also. I could see and feel the river and everything else as you developed the story.
Great job.

[ObsidianDream]

Hey! You recently reviewed my story and so - here I am to return the favour of your time and words.

First off, the vocabulary used is amazing, giving the whole piece a realistic allure. The part revolving the word "Must. Must" was delightful. In a chilly way! (That's a compliment ;D) I have one question, nonetheless, and that is:
'Who did Virginia symbolise, by the way?'
Other than that, a fine painting of words.

Keep it up.

[Justin]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate you reviewing this piece. To answer your question, Virginia Woolf wasn't supposed to represent anybody (she was just supposed to be herself). Thank you again!

[Admiral Kirk]

Wow, the imagery in this poem is fantastic! I really felt like I was there when I read this. I honestly don't have a word of criticism for you. The story behind this must be an interesting one... This is really a wonderful poem. It feels a bit lengthy, but I do have an extremely short attention span, and I believe that such detail was necessary to portray this idea. It must be a very meaningful topic for you... Thank you for sharing this poem with the world.

[Justin]

Thank you, JS! I really appreciate it!

[Admiral Kirk]

No problem! :P