This Poem was Submitted By: Thomas Edward Wright On Date: 2005-04-22 09:14:28 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!To Listen to Music While Reading this Poem, just Click Here!
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One a Day New York Times
Feb. 29, 1967
Henry themes on and on about his friends
Left behind who too were Halflings.
"What Poe did or did not do?" Arguably
And vividly vocalized over his own din,
He wept. How was I to know his mien?
Freud had warned us, but we lost hope.
His weeping slows.
We return to our work.
"Res ipsi l-o-c-quitor."
He corrects my weak Latin. "No 'c,'" see?
Roe on a cracker and wine in a jar.
Henry is happier than ever before.
“Pass the vitamins.” He looks up.
"PLEASE" I'm training him in.
We are moving into a new phase
In our relationship. Amazing.
Periodically, he mentions his mentor.
This, gratefully, has become lesser.
As has the bedwetting,
Heretofore unrelenting.
I support him in every way I can.
Just as if he too were a man.
“Pass the Chesterfields.”
We have issues that are real.
"Okay, 7 Down..."
He adjusts his gown.
Pencil grinding against a molar
Fingernails on a blackboard.
"What's a blackboard?"
We struggle with a word.
Two ideas in one pill.
Viagra on a stick for the State Fair.
We're on a roll.
He's thinking about reducing his doses.
We have these issues;
Then we have family.
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Copyright © April 2005 Thomas Edward Wright
This Poem was Critiqued By: Joanne M Uppendahl On Date: 2005-05-05 13:43:21
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.74359
Tom:
I dunno, I think I might have missed the point of this one. But I like it. As usual for me,
it reminds me of a lot of things. Caring for an elderly man with dementia, for one. Playing
chess with someone who can no longer win, but nevertheless realizes it, who becomes someone
who can't distinguish between the white and black chess pieces. Complimenting the chef on
the food, on 'cruise' we are taking via his hospital room to Japan. The surgeon is the Captain,
the nurse is the chef, and I am my own mother. Each of us listening to an opera singer on the
radio, a few weeks later, when I think he is far gone, and him, out of what I thought was sleep,
saying "She really had to reach for that one!" referring to an especially high note. Realizing
he was still 'in there' and feeling simultaneously glad and sad.
Nice one. Good to read what you write. You may be the most original poet on this site.
Kudos.
Joanne
This Poem was Critiqued By: Elaine Marie Phalen On Date: 2005-05-01 19:19:35
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
What a compelling character portrayal! This long-ago relationship is resurrected with your usual vividness and poignancy but there's also the surprising final line, which implies that the speaker and his friend are blood relatives. Are they brothers, perhaps? They obviously inhabit a different set of realities, yet are bound somewhere in the middle by shared interests, in wine and Chesterfields and the other small pleasantries that help us to connect with each other.
I gather that Henry's a schizophrenic who hears people and sees things that may not possess tangible existence beyond hius own mind? His "mentor" must be one of these. The Halflings would be others. Yet he has his links to the physical universe - and he's learning to use good manners.
I support him in every way I can.
Just as if he too were a man.
From this, it appears the speaker is an older relative and Henry is younger. He may be an adult in body but not mentally.
Two ideas in one pill.
Viagra on a stick for the State Fair.
We're on a roll.
He's thinking about reducing his doses.
Here's the source for the title, but it also confuses me a bit because of the date. In 1967, there was no such thing as Viagra. So the speaker is using a contemporary referent to describe something from the past. Or maybe I've missed something crucial (probably I have). Maybe Henry is an aspect of the speaker's own psyche ... hmmmm. A case might be made for that. The New York Times heading is also significant so there's another detail I haven't figured out. I'm not on a roll, am I?
Still, I enjoyed reading this very much. You create memorable people and bring them to life before our very eyes. That's magic and it never fails you.
Brenda
This Poem was Critiqued By: arnie s WACHMAN On Date: 2005-04-25 13:01:11
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.44444
Ah xwords. My bane. I can never seem to finish one before I get frustrated. My Latin too stinks.
Seems to me this is about doing the puzzles with an ageing father, that has loss of bladder
control. ?Alzheimers. Yes you do move into a new phase when looking after someone esp. one's own
parent. I don't relish the day when my children would look after me, but that's another story.
When I first read the title I thought it was about vitamins! I liked your two line format. Thanks.
This Poem was Critiqued By: Rachel F. Spinoza On Date: 2005-04-22 15:46:07
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Henry themes on and on about his friends
Left behind who too were Halflings.
Here's Henry again - now i see that little kid whose mother
kept calling him --h en nry hen ry aldrich!!
"hey>..I'm am a twin - does that make me a halfling?
"What Poe did or did not do?" Arguably
And vividly vocalized over his own din,
is there IS there balm in Gilead?
He wept. How was I to know his mien?
Freud had warned us, but we lost hope.
and Jung wasn't much help either
His weeping slows.
We return to our work.
"Res ipsi l-o-c-quitor."
He corrects my weak Latin. "No 'c,'" see?
loguitor - yes and let hendry resp is peace
Roe on a cracker and wine in a jar.
Henry is happier than ever before.
doesn't take much to make us forget the abyss - a little beluga and some dom
“Pass the vitamins.” He looks up.
"PLEASE" I'm training him in.
We are moving into a new phase
In our relationship. Amazing.
yes - at every stage - especially the last when we learn the most about each other
Periodically, he mentions his mentor.
This, gratefully, has become lesser.
and you the lessee
As has the bedwetting,
Heretofore unrelenting.
sadly we become unwound
I support him in every way I can.
Just as if he too were a man.
or perhaps he is a tincture of a man - what becomes of us at last when we are
only a collection unspent dreams and memories
”
We have issues that are real.
"Okay, 7 Down..."
He adjusts his gown.
give him two - he can turn one unside out and cover himself
Pencil grinding against a molar
Fingernails on a blackboard.
"What's a blackboard?"
We struggle with a word.
yes - well they are green these days anyway
but he will want to know - to be reminded
Two ideas in one pill.
Viagra on a stick for the State Fair.
what a great merchandising idea.
We're on a roll.
He's thinking about reducing his doses.
We have these issues;
Then we have family.
then we have poets like you to 'spain it all
thanks
ps I tried it on the roof once but i fell off
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