I found this while looking for something else and thought it deserved a tune up and 2nd look.
Man I could drive this neighborhood every night
for the rest of my life.
It will still show me some shit I have never seen before,
or shit I saw—but passed by silently.
for the rest of my life.
It will still show me some shit I have never seen before,
or shit I saw—but passed by silently.
Darkness comes
crawling out in its
deep bass tone
burned up,
boiled out,
well baked
normal.
It’s not ominous.
crawling out in its
deep bass tone
burned up,
boiled out,
well baked
normal.
It’s not ominous.
It is though
boring, tiring, at times deadly
for them who pay tribute to dying.
boring, tiring, at times deadly
for them who pay tribute to dying.
The darkness is all that’s noticed,
the abandoned is easily forgotten
by them who never had purchase,
no stake, no life here when it was light.
the abandoned is easily forgotten
by them who never had purchase,
no stake, no life here when it was light.
Death of anything,
body,
city,
culture
is not a ticketed event.
There is no room for patrons
or party goers; only the stars of the moment shine
while staging an event the world easily ignores.
body,
city,
culture
is not a ticketed event.
There is no room for patrons
or party goers; only the stars of the moment shine
while staging an event the world easily ignores.
God, go ahead,
damn the moment I realized
I never had a family in this place.
It, this arena of dying cityscapes
is not meant for—any that refuse to be here.
damn the moment I realized
I never had a family in this place.
It, this arena of dying cityscapes
is not meant for—any that refuse to be here.
Of course it is just as certain,
I never had family wherever they went off to.
I know I was there when they were born,
or wanted to be.
From the moment I drew breath,
I forgot something—or never learned.
I never had family wherever they went off to.
I know I was there when they were born,
or wanted to be.
From the moment I drew breath,
I forgot something—or never learned.
Not all can drive these streets
and see life in the dark.
and see life in the dark.
© M Durfee
12/26/16
12/26/16
These long nights and this godawful season will haunt the heart and mind with all the images we push away in daylight--you're lucky in some ways, that you can drive in the darkness and take some sort of lesson, some knowledge or some virtue, from a landscape that has been leached to such shades of grey. I'm especially drawn to the truth in your 5th stanza--"death is not a ticketed event." It's becoming the piece3 of driftwood on the shore, the empty nest that falls from the tree that's kicked to the curb, the cracked shell of a vanished occupant...anyway, thanks for the drive, Mark. best wishes for a better year; we all deserve one, but you know how that goes.
ReplyDeleteJoy this was an easy write for me in that I am describing a reality that I have been perched in for 65 years.
DeleteI am not a creature of despair nor one who can see much of any other way.
I too wish for you a better present and future than the one known.
The darker the better as it makes us notice the light, friend Mark. Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteAs ever Meowzer you boil it down to the simplest of realities.
DeleteDarkness is not ominous. Just is... I like that.
ReplyDeleteMissed being here, my friend, and the way your poetry fills my heart with sorrow and joy.
I wish you good health and good feelings in the New Year!
(I'm trying again in Chrome, in Firefox it looks like I cannot post a comment)
Hiya buddy! I took a long lay off to evaluate my voice, to see if maybe I had said all I had to say. Turns out there is yet more.
DeleteI do pray you have a great and good year ahead.
DAMN, this blog still exists....
ReplyDeleteyeah man, just like an old lady who is going to talk even if all her friends are asleep in chairs.
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteThe ending, whew. The darkness and its shadows can be very overwhelming. I wish you light and brighter things for 2020!
ReplyDelete