The Grave of Rimbaud
by Bill Yarrow
I visited the grave of Rimbaud
It was pale blue
like the blood of a baby penguin
Upon its headstone were designs
beautiful and mysterious
like the brain waves of deer
I touched the grave
and found it redemptive
like the law forbidding adultery
I thought I was alone
but I was in the midst of a vast crowd
hissing like poisonous snakes on fire
I had imagined the grave of Rimbaud
standing out from its field
like a single candle in a cake
The grave itself was small
attic
quiet as a king at the end of his reign
Around the grave the grass was burned
gray and stiff
like the lips of lovers who no longer kiss
I sat by the grave
and felt at home
like bigotry in the hearts of men of God
Then darkness settled over the grave
sentimentally
like a kitten on the neck of a man
I left the grave and returned
to Marseilles
aligned like a knife in Adam's apple
It was pale blue
like the blood of a baby penguin
Upon its headstone were designs
beautiful and mysterious
like the brain waves of deer
I touched the grave
and found it redemptive
like the law forbidding adultery
I thought I was alone
but I was in the midst of a vast crowd
hissing like poisonous snakes on fire
I had imagined the grave of Rimbaud
standing out from its field
like a single candle in a cake
The grave itself was small
attic
quiet as a king at the end of his reign
Around the grave the grass was burned
gray and stiff
like the lips of lovers who no longer kiss
I sat by the grave
and felt at home
like bigotry in the hearts of men of God
Then darkness settled over the grave
sentimentally
like a kitten on the neck of a man
I left the grave and returned
to Marseilles
aligned like a knife in Adam's apple
|
11
favs |
212 views
14 comments |
144 words
All rights reserved. |
Author's Note
This poem originally appeared in WRENCH (erbacce-press, 2009).
It was republished in THIS Literary Magazine.
The poem appears in Pointed Sentences (BlazeVOX, 2012).
Other stories by Bill Yarrow
Tags
This story has no tags.
Groups
-
10+ Favs
Public group122 members
Comments
You must
log in
to post comments.
*, of course.
Wonderful imagery, Bill. And form. Great closing.
Hommage in spirit and text worthy of him. The use of simile to supply a refrain and astonishing metaphors at once is really masterful.
Nice similes. Like the metaphor, too. And the form. Great job, all in all. Fav.
Wonderful phrasing, memorable lines.
Gorgeous, and haunting. As it should be.
Excellent poetry, like the brain waves of a seer.
Very visual and I like all the likes (similes)*
stunning similies . . . fave
..like the lips of lovers who no longer kiss..these images you've created stay and chat, then linger and stroll along with the reader.
Perfect! fav
Happy to give this its 10th *.
Beautiful.
Haunting indeed. Specially the last lines where the poet returns to the place Rimbaud died.