The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Wed 9/10/2008)

[RetroLounge]

What Goes On

After the affair and the moving out,
after the destructive revivifying passion,
we watched her life quiet

into a new one, her lover more and more
on its periphery. She spent many nights
alone, happy for the narcosis

of the television. When she got cancer
she kept it to herself until she couldn’t
keep it from anyone. The chemo debilitated
and saved her, and one day

her husband asked her to come back-
his wife, who after all had only fallen
in love as anyone might
who hadn’t been in love for a while-

and he held her, so different now,
so thin, her hair just partially
grown back. He held her like a woman

and what she felt
felt almost as good as love had,
and each of them called it love
because precision didn’t matter anymore.

and we who’d been part of it,
often rejoicing with one
and consoling the other,

we who had seen her truly alive
and then merely alive,
what could we do but revise
our phone books, our hearts,

offer a little toast to what goes on.

Stephen Dunn

**************

:cry:

RL

[lizziegrace]

1. ...

:cry:

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

6. Yeah...

:cry:

RL

[blueraven95]

2. woah...

:cry:





:hi:

[RetroLounge]

7. Yeah...

:hi:

RL

[Dora]

3. Damn.

"and offer a little toast to what goes on."

:toast:

[RetroLounge]

8. Hey!

:hi:

:toast:

RL

[Dora]

9. Hiya!

And how does the world turn for you?

[RetroLounge]

10. Too damn fast...

:9

RL

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. because precision didn’t matter anymore.

RL,,,I truly hope that BlueIris does not post a "down" poem today. Yes, they are all good and excellent poetry but, I can only stand so much. Know what I mean?

[RetroLounge]

12. I'll try to find a happier one tomorrow

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear Retro...

It is sad...

And then again, it's not.

I feel a hopeful note here...

...He held her like a woman

and what she felt
felt almost as good as love had,
and each of them called it love
because precision didn’t matter anymore...

I see this as one of the most beautiful poems ever...

Thank you...

:hug:

[crim son]

11. I can't agree with CalPeg.

It seems hopeless to me. "what could we do but revise, our phone books, our hearts." Hopeless for the living, anyway. She took comfort in being held like a woman, I imagine. The same way one who hasn't eaten takes comfort in a crust of bread.

Meh. Now you've depressed me. Excellent. :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. I understand what you're saying...

But it wasn't hopeless for her...

She had her great lover back and that was endlessly hopeful!

Sure, everyone else was watching her die...

But I see her as the focus of this poem.

Sorry you're depressed, sweetie...:hug:

[crim son]

14. I've recovered!

But doesn't the poet say it is "almost" like being loved? Almost? What makes me sad is the recognition that we may find, over time, that we expect and hope for less than what once was the minimum. I remember this disturbed me even as a teenager... that hope, love, idealism Etc. gives way to base need.

I was always a freaking pessimist! And Peg. How are you today? I read a post yesterday I think that said you were having a rough time. :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. I'm good today, and thanks for asking, sweetie!

I think we do realize that over time, our over-arching great need for a huge love diminishes...

We lose the dream, sometimes...

It's not that we descend to base need.

It's just that real life just cannot deliver our wildest dreams the way we envisioned them...

We might be extremely lucky to find that one great passion, that one great love that we always dreamed of!

But most of us don't do that well...I suspect.

It's just how I see it...:hug:

[crim son]

16. I'm at the stage where I still have faint hope

largely overshadowed by pessimism.

I think you see it how it is. :hug: And good night. I can't keep my eyes open any more! -L