Saturday February 1st, 2020

The exercise:

Write a four line poem about: the voyager.

2 comments:

Greg said...

Another year-long poem? Well, I was going to say no, but then I remembered that I did have the second poem this year connect with the first, so I've put everything together so far... and yes, I think I could make this work. It's a bit disjoint, but people forgive that kind of ugliness so long as the story's good later on, right? Right? (Please...?)

Voyager
The machines breathe for him:
Air hisses through narrow tubes
That snake around the bed like knotweed
And keep his chest moving.

On the bedside table are flowers,
Cards, a bottle of lemonade and
A handwritten note signed by Emma B.
Nurses check on him constantly.

Outside his window, snow falls
Lightly coating mural-painted walls
And melting on the hot engines of
Red-and-blue lighted police cars.

The Chinese New Year starts tonight:
The Year of the Rat,
But he already knew that. Soft footsteps
Tiptoe in and he opens his eyes.

“Do you remember the party we threw when Voyager 2
Left the Solar system?” Fifteen months ago.
He nods, and she smiles. “They said you might have amnesia.”
Smile falters. “That might have been easier.”

Marc said...

Greg - I have no idea why you would do this to yourself, but I'm here for it. I'll try to be at least a little reasonable with my Saturday prompts.

'That might have been easier' - oof. That packs a punch.