The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sun 9/3/06)

[RetroLounge]

In the Apartments of the Divorced Men

The apartments of the divorced men are small,
you can stand in the doorway
and see their whole lives as through a convex lens,

the way a fish sees all the ocean. Or
they are large, one room opening into another
until it seems the whole white winter sky

has settled on the walls. The apartments
are not what you'd expect, they are neat
as pins, and to enter them

is to endure that brief, accidental pain.
They are proud of everything, the divorced men,
proud of the clean white microwave,

the CD player with its growing audience of disks,
the futon that bears the furrow of their sleep
upon its back. They will show you

the photographs of their children when they were young,
stepping from the doors of miniature cars,
pajama bottoms on backwards, or give you

a full tour of the kitchen cabinets, each of which holds
an item or two of use. And when it is time
for you to leave, they will follow you

to the top of the stairs, the door,
and stand there while you drive away,
their faces behind the wood, the glass—

looking like the faces that you've seen
in all the papers: the proud, pained soldiers torn
from their homes and sent out into the world
for a reason you must read on and on to understand.

Sue Ellen Thompson

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

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

[yvr girl]

1. wow

that just oozes quiet pain. :hug:

[Callalily]

2. The emptiness,

the sadness, the loneliness just screams out! :cry:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Good morning, my dear RetroLounge.......

Oh baby, this one comes from the heart, doesn't it?

I'm sorry.........:hug:

[miss_american_pie]

4. That's not at all

what your apartment is like. :D

[RetroLounge]

5. My apartment looks much much better

when you are in it...

:hug:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

6. That's only because

I'm such a good housekeeper. :)

[RetroLounge]

7. But after you left it just seemed so, so,

empty...

:cry:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

8. And that's only because

my kids are so very loud. :D

[RetroLounge]

9. Well, that and the fact that you stole my couch

TV, bed, dresser, Microwave, kitchen table and all my books...

or were you just hinting I should move to Pittsburgh?

RL

[miss_american_pie]

10. If I were going to steal something

it wouldn't be the tv. :evilgrin:

[yvr girl]

11. You hussy

flirting with MY flirt. x(

[miss_american_pie]

14. It takes two

I think he wants you to spank him. :hi:

[yvr girl]

15. It's all about him

spank me, spank me, spank me

When do I get spanked?

[miss_american_pie]

16. Erm

You asking me or him? :evilgrin:

[yvr girl]

21. Can't a girl complain to a sista?

I might just have to throw it open to the lounge. Do you think there would be any takers?

[miss_american_pie]

23. I couldn't figure if it was a complaint or an invitation

:evilgrin:

[yvr girl]

24. More like a plea

:evilgrin:

[miss_american_pie]

29. I'll have to find my paddle

It's around here somewhere. :evilgrin:

[RetroLounge]

18. I guess you haven't been naughty enough

:9

RL

[yvr girl]

20. I've been PLENTY naughty

ask around

[RetroLounge]

46. I will...

:D

RL

[RetroLounge]

12. The Kids?

:shrug:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

13. No

The Panda. :D

[RetroLounge]

17. NEVER!

You can have the Panda when you pry it from my cold dead fireplace....

RL

[miss_american_pie]

19. If I really wanted the Panda

I would have the Panda. :D

[RetroLounge]

22. I believe you would, too.

Determined woman...

:hi:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

25. And I didn't have room for what I really wanted

All those lovely books... sigh... :hi:

[RetroLounge]

26. These books need to share shelf space

with yours...

:loveya:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

27. Your apartment isn't big enough

Bring your books here. :loveya:

[RetroLounge]

31. Packing now...

need more boxes...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

32. Funny

I have way more boxes than I know what to do with. :shrug:

[RetroLounge]

33. Bring them over and help me pack...

:shrug:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

34. If I'm going to spend nine hours in the car again

you better make it worth my while. :evilgrin:

[RetroLounge]

35. I thought I had...

:blush:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

36. ...

:spank: :spank: :spank:

[RetroLounge]

37. ...

:rofl:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

38. You'd better not be laughing at me

I'll reconsider the Panda. :D

[RetroLounge]

39. Not at you...

with you...

:D

RL

[miss_american_pie]

40. I'm not laughing

:pout:

[RetroLounge]

41. Uhm, me neither, nope, not me, uh uh...

:(

RL

[miss_american_pie]

42. You're cute when you grovel

:D

[RetroLounge]

43. Forgive me please, Mistress MAP

i'll be good from now on...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

44. Oh you're always good

:evilgrin:

[RetroLounge]

45. I do my best...

to be of service.

:9

RL

[yvr girl]

28. I can see I will need to fight dirty...

[RetroLounge]

30. Nice lips...

Booger check?

:rofl:

RL