by Darryl Price
by Darryl Price
I wouldn't want to let
You down, but asking no
Questions, forgiving the
Times, I've seen the paintings,
All yourself. I wouldn't
Want to let you down, but
Am undone, broken, and
Without a fire extinguisher
On my person.
I wouldn't want to let
You down, God knows, but aren't
You tired of leaving?
I wouldn't want to let
You down, I sing over
My shoulder, but days get
Quite lost and lonely here
Without you. Wouldn't want
To let you down, but I'm
Not to be released from
Your company so easily
As that. Wouldn't
Want to let you down, oh
But I adore your face!
I wanted things tender
Before delicate—dreamed,
Not yet doomed. I wouldn't
Ever want to let you
Down, but if you like, I'll
Write and say it. Wouldn't
Want to let you down, please
Show true meaning, Oh weeping
Woman. Wouldn't want
To let you down, but like
Others, I'm thunderstruck
Through and through, feeling a
Wrist for pulse, blessed below.
07/10/2017
Bonus poem:
The Yellow Mustard by Darryl Price
“Life is not solved.”—Hugh Prather
“I think I'm gonna be sad.”—John Lennon
(I love it when he does that.
I hate it. Who does he think
He is?) I only want to
See you in sun dresses, you
With your hair mussed. I want to
Watch you eat a hot pretzel
Dipped in yellow mustard. Look
Into your mouth as you smile
For the picture. Oh no, I
Haven't forgotten that you
Also exist in this funny
World. I don't know why I
Was given a glimpse of your
Amazing presence. (When he
Does that all his sentences
Run backwards. I can't decide
If it's demotic or glad
And innocent.) A warbler,
You are anything but a
Dry meadow. When you stand and
Dorsal me I want to start
Immediately to save
All butterflies, but now it's
That time to say goodbye. I
Knew in the moment you stretched
Yourself in front of me like
A hand-painted dragon shade,
But the dart was already
Delivering the poison
With an almost not-there kiss.
I don't want to stop looking
For you, but I'm afraid if
I found you I might not find
You. (When he does that I want
To snatch the poem out of
His head and bury it in
The backyard. I can't decide
If he's real or a disguised
Minefield.) You can't possibly
Know the cut you've made across
My chest the moment you left
The spot of our togetherness
Without a word. But I
Felt the look back, it hit me
Like a magnet, slapping all
My senses—as if someone
Cleared their throat like there would be
Nothing left in the morning.
(He ought to go back to bed.)
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Some shadows mean less than others,but all portend to something in motion,fast or slow,coming or going. It's just another way to read the tea leaves, but every bitter taste not forgotten only turns to garbage in the end. Just throw it out and start all over again with a new brew. You're allowed to. In fact the poetry source pool demands it of you all, all the time.
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The moment you had me:
"Mmm and mmm
and mmm."
The moment I realized I was reading a truly great poem:
"but until then it's
the only thing that makes any real kind of thankful sense."
I agree with Sheldon. This is brilliant. Darryl!
Thank you Shel and Marcelle. So many of my readers outside of the Fictionaut community have written notes to me telling me how much this poem means to them.It's really touched me to read the responses and know a real human connection was made within a poem. And yet you see for yourselves that so far out of 21 reads you are the only 2 who also had a reaction of any kind here. I can't thank you enough for your time and attention.. You make me want to do so much better and continue to grow as a person and a poet.
reverberates in my mind. wonderful. manages to be both personal and universal. i don't understand poetry but i dig d.p. big time.
"Trouble is no one believes in it until the train
is touching their own shoes." Love this, Darryl.