Begging the night to stay, I cling
to the dripping sky, gripping the edges
of the black blanket tight
but it seeps through my fingers, leaving sparkles
on my skin. A consolation prize
from the stars tearing free — tearing me —
as they slide. The sun dares to rise,
despite my cries, and I cringe
in the soft burning light, a pink twinge of day
invading the deep peace of night.
A sprinkle of mist kisses my bruised flesh
and the breeze brushes its hand through my hair,
like a gentle caress.
Where is the strength? Pick up the pace.
Blow me away,
to the dripping sky, gripping the edges
of the black blanket tight
but it seeps through my fingers, leaving sparkles
on my skin. A consolation prize
from the stars tearing free — tearing me —
as they slide. The sun dares to rise,
despite my cries, and I cringe
in the soft burning light, a pink twinge of day
invading the deep peace of night.
A sprinkle of mist kisses my bruised flesh
and the breeze brushes its hand through my hair,
like a gentle caress.
Where is the strength? Pick up the pace.
Blow me away,
like dust in the wind. It's not that I want to die,
but oh, to drift free, like a piece of the sky
but oh, to drift free, like a piece of the sky
This poem is intensely musical, and the lyricism is made more subtle by how you often rhyme end rhymes with an internal rhyme, until the final closing couplet. The rhymes, compression, and closing rhyme make it feel a little like a sonnet. The ending is a little puzzling to me. I'm not sure why the speaker asks the breeze to pick up the pace. I like the connection between death and freedom. It's surprising, and I can read into it. However, I feel like there is something that the poem wants known that I am not quite getting about the ending.
ReplyDeletei love how vivid and tactile the speaker's attachment to the night is. i'm wondering what the meaning of "bruised flesh" is? is this supposed to communicate a wounded or negative note?
ReplyDeleteahh I love "dripping sky" and comparing it to the blanket. in the beginning it seems like being out of bed is the last thing you want but in the end you want to be drifting free-- I'm confused by the seeming contradiction.
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