Friday, April 24, 2009

Day 24

The dead aren't coming back to save us

But who's waiting?

My father, I've noticed, was
Much taller when he was alive

Lately, I've been walking
Back and forth across the lawn

It's shrinking

I'm leaving it to the vines

And the house for the chipmunks

The dead aren't coming back to save us

But still they come

7 comments:

ctm said...

'The dead aren't coming back to save us'

Another line I want to steal. But won't.

Charmi said...

:-)

Unknown said...

This reminds me of Billy Collins poem "The Dead," which you can watch in animation on YouTube. I showed it to my kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuTNdHadwbk

Charmi said...

Just what I was striving for, to be be compared to Billy Collins :-(

Rachel said...

I like a lot of this one. For some reason, that stanza about walking back and forth across the lawn made me think of Jane Eyre, when she sees that crazy woman running back and forth in the room upstairs. Eerie and brilliant...that scene scared the crap out of me for years. I like the strange dark feel of that stanza.

Charmi said...

Thanks, Rachel.

Unknown said...

I think Billy Collins is a great poet--cutting edge and avant garde? No, but the world needs all kinds. And that poem it s good one. Nothing wrong with being compared to it. You should be flattered.