The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Tue 8/8/06)

[RetroLounge]

On Infidelity

There is a heaven.
Desire is one of its temporary gifts.
If you have never known desire,
and it has found you
in the shape of a man
with obedient pets and good cooking,
be careful it isn't because
another man has not praised you.
Be careful of its price.
Humans are pitiful when they desire praise.
They will send their children away for it.
They will steal your shoes and your fingerprints.
No one is more capable of judging you.
Whether they love you or not doesn't matter.

If you married for love, be grateful.
If you already know
that you intend to go back home,
don't ask for time apart.
There is no such thing
as a courteous cheater.
If you married for love,
don't let the desired man in.
The time he spends on you
will not repair your ego.
You will be dazzled, then used-up.
Even though he will stay awake with you
until the metallic monster of insomnia
raises hell in the parking lot;
Even though it is bewitching to hear it
clawing through your monotonous artifacts­
your bone grinds and wine bottles,
the morning fires will burn your junk,
but you'll have more tomorrow.
If you married out of petty obligation;
If you have already bought your gravestone,
and want to sell it for half the price,
let the desired man in.
Let the earth leave you for an hour
on its axle. Let the imagination imagine
yourself without an interpreter.
If you married out of petty obligation,
the angels are not watching you anymore.
They are just as hopeless.
They don't haunt abandoned ships.
They graffiti trains, and fuck drunk gods.
They tremble in their bones.
If you ask them to,
They will stitch you a new heart
with wedding cake decorations all around it.
They will sweep the dust from the sunlight,
and find someone else's god to forgive you.

Allison Eir Jenks

********************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[RevCheesehead]

1. I think I need to copy this...

and give it to every couple who comes to premarital counseling.

Wow.

I even understood it!


:hi:

[RetroLounge]

6. Add it to your arsenal of God Tools!

:hug:

RL

[RevCheesehead]

7. I don't need an arsenal.

Not if I have you and a couple cans o' whipped cream! :9

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

8. Oooooooostburggggggggggggggg

:hi:

RL

[RevCheesehead]

9. That's my line, too.

*sigh* :loveya:

[Broken_Hero]

2. great poem...nt

[lizziegrace]

3. I agree with the Rev

:hug: RL

[wildhorses]

4. step carefully because the angels don't haunt abandoned

ships. telling it like it is:thumbsup:

[Callalily]

5. This poem clearly is a great summation . . .

Be careful of its price. Infidelity is the the perfect act of selfishness. (IMHO)

[idgiehkt]

10. wow.

It think it takes alot of balls to write like this. It never occurs to me to tell people what to do, or give them advice, when I write poems. Maybe I should think about doing that. I think alot of this went over my head. It's really, really pretty, and kind of sad.

[txwhitedove]

11. Such a unique phrasing..."There is no such thing

as a courteous cheater..." Love it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear RetroLounge........

Your poems often hit close to the bone........

But this one especially so........

I thank you........

:hug: