A different way to measure time

Gold cherry

By lavadis

Sat, 09 Nov 2024
  • 289 reads
6 comments
 
When I arrived in the park, 
the autumn leaves
had formed an 
auburn duvet
on my usual bench.
 
Moments after I had begun sketching tree skeletons in charcoal, 
my fingers stained 
by unresolved arguments,
a woman approached me
dressed in a patchwork quilt
of satin and stains.
 
‘This is awkward’ said the woman, the sun pixelating her hair,
her face a roiling murmuration 
of expressions.
‘I hope you don’t mind
but I think you are my father.’
 
I swept a handful of leaves onto the ground as she sat down beside me
taking my hands in her own 
and geologically mapping the contours of my face with her eyes.
I had forgotten to breath,
it didn’t seem important 
 
‘You are old’ I said.
‘You are far older’ she replied
‘How is your mother? I asked.
‘Dead’ she said, ‘since yesterday’
‘which is why you chose today’ I said.
‘which is why I chose today’ she replied.
 
‘Bukowski or Plath?’ she asked
‘Unknown Pleasures or Morrison Hotel
Ballard or St John-Mandel?
Chagall or Rothko
Pickard or Kirk?’
‘All of them’ I said
‘Of course’ she replied
‘Of course.’
 
She squeezed my fingers with my mother’s hands 
and we sat
in my father’s silence 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Poetry
Fantasy
Love

Comments

Submitted by sean mcnulty on

This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day. Please share and retweet!

 

Submitted by lavadis on

Thank you Sean ! 

 

Submitted by celticman on

ah, difficult and breathing is always optional, paternity fade out. 

 

Submitted by lavadis on

Thank you so much. I always value your opinion. I have often wondered if this could happen to me. It is awful and wonderful at the same time. To have missed so much of a life and yet not missed all of it. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

'All of them I said..." Well, yes!

That's a wonderfully beguiling poem

 

[Should there be just one 'her' in the line....."the sun pixelating her her hair"?]

 

Submitted by lavadis on

Thank you so much and yes you were right and  I have made that edit.