Some lingering questions
why does a piano played slowly
in the high register sound scary?
why do red bricks remind me
of smashed teeth and rusting water coolers?
what about her cracked lips
meant she was nothing but trouble?
why was I so scared to
say people's names out loud?
why wasn't I good at foursquare
or skipping or elastics or monkey bars?
why did I run after his car
calling out his name?
why are recordings of children laughing
used so often in soundscapes?
why is an antique tea set exquisite
but a dead person's coffee cup just stained?
why did grandpa's pipe smell sweet
but dad's cigarettes choke me?
why did they never fight, was it the
same reason they never kissed?
This poem is from Emilie Collyer's new book called Your Looking Eyes which came out of the Cafe Poet Program run by Australian Poetry. Only Emilie wasn't ensconced in a cafe but in an art gallery called C3 at The Nunnery in Abbotsford in Melbourne. The book is embellished by beautiful art works by Eirian Chapman.
For more about Emilie check out her blog Between The Cracks http://www.betweenthecracks.net/
If you want to see more Tuesday Poems click on the quill icon.
An excellent concept for a poem - lingering questions - ending on the question that one assumes opened the searching at the start... each question opening up a wealth of stuff on its own - a whole novel of stuff! Some terrific, violent at times, sad, tragic images. It would make an very good exercise for students. Thanks Jen.
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