green the river, green the woods
if we don't have time, time has us
if we don't have time, time has us
enflamed with error, the things
we mutter soon become mantras
you must try to forgive everyone
who said things/happen/a reason
finding chance, choice after choice,
and ways to fold time in your mouth
steal your turbulent hopes from us
send it toward your own ripe pause
________________________
Further details from the "Gun Story" that surfaced after a few retellings.
1) The kids asked me what the gun looked like and I couldn't remember because I wasn't looking at it. What were you looking at, they asked. That's when I had to admit I'd been distracted by the dog in the backseat of their car and the family erupted into howls of laughter.
2) On why I'm not afraid I'll bump into the people with the gun again. Their car had temporary Missouri tags, I imagine they were visitors here for the weekend and are no longer in town. (Also, I got a picture of their tag, so I'm not completely useless.)
3) The confused/amused look Big A and I gave each other when the young police officer repeatedly told us they were very unnerved and shaken by this incident. It was very Gen Z of them.
___________________________
Pic: The river is so green from reflecting the trees here! The Red Cedar in the woods behind L's house.
12 comments:
I'm Gen X and I am very unnerved and shaken by this, Maya! Please take care.
Yes, I think I would also be much more shaken by the gun incident than you are. (For the record I'm also Gen X.)
Lovely poem.
"...the things/we mutter have become mantras." Very true.
Take care
I'm so intrigued with the movement of this poem, Maya. The first three lines rush, like the racing waters of a river, like the fast pace of hurrying time. It then slows a bit with the muttering of mantras and the line about forgiveness and continues slowing until the last word which is "pause". At that moment, it truly drops; the consecutive plosive sounds of the two p's in "ripe pause" really make the reader come to a halt. It's masterful.
The only line that is an outlier for me is "formulate your series of choices". It seems a bit clinical and not in the voice of the speaker, especially before the glorious line of "a way to fold time in your mouth".
"Time has us"--I have felt this way so often.
I suspect I would still be freaking out if this incident happened to me. Poor dog in the backseat - what sort of life is it living?
I hope it's well and truly in the past now, Nicole! XOXO
Thanks, Jenny. I'm beginning to feel like a freak about not feeling shaken. I'm Gen X too.
Thanks, Steph!
Thanks, Gillian!
Gosh--Thanks, Nance! "Formulate" does sound clunky... I'll continue tinkering...
Trust you to worry about the doggo, Engie! I too worried about that... and oddly, was buoyed by their presence.
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