Wednesday, November 2, 2016

THE RIGHT LETTERS WOULD FORM THE RIGHT WORDS



RECYCLED 
 
As a ghost in the night I listen to the noise of plastic,
wind blown down the street in the wee hours,
it is easy to say from the sound it’s a cup.
Once holding a beverage of cheer;
whiskey, rum, brandy, or beer.
I am unable to describe that sound quite right;
finding good words is hard, difficult.
I don’t know if it’s best heard in the minds ear as
clunk-clunk, crund-crund, mappp-mappp.
Faint at first then a bit louder in its nighttime passage
the noise of trash is easy to follow.
Easier than locating the other sounds in the night,
the gunfire, bending and twisting metal,
screams assaulting the darkness,
muffled “help me help me” 
the breath of death
come and gone on ambulance sirens,
sounds and noises carried off on that same wind 
as the trash.
Are there words in any language to describe the sounds?
Or be it better to take the easy road,
to announce the noises as shit,
as just more human off gassed crap
on a roll down a nighttime street?

I don’t know,
I do not belong here;
nothing does,
not trash,
not ghosts,
not people.

© M Durfee
11/2/16

13 comments:

  1. wow. That last verse made me gasp. Unexpected.

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  2. This week we've been having veterans talk about post traumatic stress injury (as some are calling the last part) -- which reminds me of Detroit, too. There was a stat. talking about Detroit-traumatic-stress. Keep on keeping on ~ !

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    1. I've had many of my "educated" friends tell me I display traumatic stress Erik. When I compare what I do, how I act with them around me, I can't see it. BUT then, whose to say an entire population can not be traumatized?

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  3. .....is why I need to move, to a place where the air is still fresh, there is light at dawn, where plants, trees, animals thrive, where the salt cleanses mind and soul.... Away from the energy circling like a vulture over cities, feeding off fear, dispair, violence, deparavity, gaining strength every time it comes around again, and it does come around again....

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    1. Negative always comes around Shadow. I am pretty sure that moving may lessen it some but even the great salt oceans are now changing an polluted, the air quality is in steady decay.

      One of the most untouched places I have ever been was Northern Quebec some 2000 kilometers North of Montreal, that was 40 years ago. At that time this untouched by logging and industry was showing the signs of "acid rain."

      Where do we go? I am pretty sure my escape is the night and my porch.

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  4. Lana and I went to the park yesterday and hated to notice the trash left by people. The most consistent thing about humanity seems to be how it trashes its environment

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    1. I get that too Charles here it is not uncommon to be sitting waiting for a light to change and see an assload of garbage come flying out a car window.

      There is very little repercussions for ill behaviors anymore.

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  5. Wow. I haven't seen you in full-cry in a while. This is the sort of imagery that drew me to your site in the first place.

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    1. Writing styles is cyclical I guess Alice. I never know what's coming out when I sit down to write.

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    2. I hear you there! It makes novel writing a challenge.

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  6. How about a nice BBQ for the neighbors -- hot dogs for the kids?

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    1. Naw Goatman, my neighbors have all been evicted or moved to the 'burbs, The people surrounding me now are fairly transient renters or squatters.

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So Walking Man I was thinking...