Alice tip toes around the edges of the bed
Her face is white
She sings a tiny grief song
Let's pretend she says
The wind whistles through the windows
We touch hands
All gathered in
In peace and remembrance
It is daytime again
The police shoot by
We are beside ourselves
Alive and flying
A cool chill stings our flesh
We wrap blankets in the trunk
Just like our parents
A silver census of dreams
We ditch the water
Confounded
In the jungle of life
We record our voices
Sing shanties
Pretend we are natives
Alice tip toes around the edges of the bed
I hear her
It is a comfort in the day.
What a sad song you sing this Sunday Jae! As always Alice is your comforter in times of need.
ReplyDeleteSing shanties
ReplyDeletePretend we are natives
These lines resonate with me.
Some of us are perfect chameleons. The natives speak freely in our presence. We, the only ones who really know the true extent of bigotry and discrimination.
We wrap blankets in the trunks
Just like our parents
We do indeed.
Sometimes when times feel bleak, those little songs and play pretends can be a great comfort.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this bit: "A silver census of dreams/We ditch the water/Confounded/In the jungle of life".
ReplyDeleteThis grief song is so evocative.
-HA
yes, sometimes songs are one of the things that keeps us going during uncertain times.
ReplyDelete"Let's pretend she says" exactly what children do they resort to their creative God selves making whatever they wish to happen, happen
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday Jae
much love...
I always feel that you write from a dark place, where only dreams are bright.
ReplyDeleteI can see Alice's pale worried face, hear her tiny grief song. How i admire the wording of that! The ""alive and flying" sounds a bit scary, but i love the gathering in in peace and remembbrance. I am glad Alice is there for comfort. Give her some comfort too, so she stops worrying. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteThese tiny emotional slivers (pretending, finding comfort in someone's presence) are magical.
ReplyDeletesongs of grief today. I loved this line: a silver census of dreams. That is spectacular. I am sad that you and Alice are sad today.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the singing of shanties in this. For me, it conferred a kind of a 'tale' vibe upon the piece, which works so well with the images throughout.
ReplyDeleteAlice is there in the night and in the day to bring comfort during those scary time in the jungle of life. Alice may be a guardian angel.
ReplyDeleteSo many scenes set in this poem.
This poem is sad, Jae, with Alice, who is usually so cheerful, tiptoeing with a white face and singing 'a tiny grief song'. Something bad has happened as they are:
ReplyDelete'All gathered in
In peace and remembrance'.
It seems it's only the 'let's pretend' and singing of shanties that are a 'comfort in the day'.