Annulling the Future
by Bill Yarrow
If you can't consummate tomorrow
you may as well just annul the future.
That bride is a sticky risk anyway.
Look at her—ruffles in all the wrong
places. Her perfume stinks of wrinkle
cream. She uses bleach to keep her
complexion stiff. She's infested with
multiple lovers from the past. She's
not the future you remember. Her
bones are porous from overexertion.
Her glands are full of pride. You see
that push-up look in her eyes? How
beautiful she looks in the indigo shade.
She is a maid of weaponized affection.
you may as well just annul the future.
That bride is a sticky risk anyway.
Look at her—ruffles in all the wrong
places. Her perfume stinks of wrinkle
cream. She uses bleach to keep her
complexion stiff. She's infested with
multiple lovers from the past. She's
not the future you remember. Her
bones are porous from overexertion.
Her glands are full of pride. You see
that push-up look in her eyes? How
beautiful she looks in the indigo shade.
She is a maid of weaponized affection.
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Author's Note
This poem appeared in the inaugural issue of OF ZOOS.
It also appears in Pointed Sentences (BlazeVOX 2012).
Other stories by Bill Yarrow
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Reminds me of Shakespeare's sonnet. Very good, Bill.
Fave! Wow, Bill. This is great. So many strong takeaways with the poem: "She's infested with
multiple lovers from the past." Thanks for letting me read this one.
Great piece, Bill. Tightly written. Works well -
"She is a maid of weaponized affection."
*
Fine depiction, precise. I feel I don't like her (I thought ships were women--this may be the one that will come in), yet I doubt she would be worth describing if everything about her was awk. *
My favorite line of a poem with many good lines: "She's infested with
multiple lovers from the past."*
"That bride is a sticky risk anyway." Yum. Devastating and sharp and tight. Great work.*
This is ferocious. Who is the writer of this poem? A man or a woman? The assonance in sticky risk gives me chills. This makes me want to hear the bride's side of the story. Strong work, Bill!
The first two lines are incredible. The rest is fiercely excellent, though obviously not very flattering. I want to quote Hafiz in an act of amelioration. I'll do that on your wall.*
I loved all the details,
Her perfume stinks of wrinkle
cream. She uses bleach to keep her
complexion stiff. She's infested with
multiple lovers from the past.
And especially the ending:
She is a maid of weaponized affection.
The sounds of the poem are powerful.
Yeah, can't add much to comments already made. That last line just keeps resonating.
This is unbelievably good.
:)