Saturday, January 16, 2010

the waves break in triplicate

i. try a little dumbness

a flipper with a creaky wheelbarrow
can, seasick, carry so little else:
even numbers hoist a tragic burden
of twos and fours and sixes-
an orange drum of oozing crude
squats in the scarlet square of public proof:
normal schooling has not broached the riddle of three-
perfect odds for the splashing pod of scalene glee:

this is the first wave, barely asking questions,
feckless breakers born of slim perception.

ii. then came the silly thumping

a hairless mammal born of aqua water
smooches to a lonely warehouse groove
propped on stilts of rust and gray,
scratching a riff devoid of moisture,
in a turn-table suit striped with pockets-
fine this crime that outlives the sea:

this is the second wave, rhythm rising,
a changeling child of chilly waters.

iii. trump is the beginning of cool

a vest of stuffed squid and shrimp is stylish
for most of the downstream fossils:
these slick boardwalks in the fresh of splintered rain
where triple cool are collar pops in lemon pink
for the eternal culture of grope and move:
it's never too slim for a flippered slipping-
to grind this sand to a fine-toothed beach:

this is the third wave, darkling by nature,
a cunning crash of foam and spray.

6 comments:

Anders Enochsson said...

rich texture,

"a changeling child of chilly waters."

i thought about creation myths I've overheard.

Anonymous said...

"then came the silly thumping"

"smooches to a lonely warehouse groove"

"a vest of stuffed squid and shrimp is stylish / for most of the downstream fossils"

Gee Gerry, such stunning and funny lines! The poem is full of motion and colors. Once again I forgot about the winter. Thanks.

gerry boyd said...

Ande: I guess we all have our own mythology; it gets most interesting to me where the personal and "standard" mythologies intersect.

PO: Glad you found some humor. Most of my stuff makes me laugh too. Ah, the absurdity of it all!

Cheers!

Megan Duffy said...

"normal schooling has not broached the riddle of three-"

...and it never will.

This was brilliant fun, Gerry.

Jenny said...

"an orange drum of oozing crude/
squats in the scarlet square"

"the splashing pod of scalene glee"

my favorite parts of this poem.

Delightful and humorous piece.

Akeith Walters said...

Really great writing, Gerry. Full of you particular flowing voice.