Friday, April 24, 2009

This is not an elegy...

I don't usually do two posts in one day, but I stumbled across a most beautiful poem via Poetry 365 called This is not an Elegy by Catherine Pierce. It somehow reached right into my soul, and inspired me.....and before I knew it, I was blogging away.....I remember being sixteen, all the heartache, and insecurity, the crushes never returned, the yearning for love.....


At sixteen, I was illegal and brilliant,
my fingernails chewed to half-moons.
I took off my clothes in a late March
field. I had secret car wrecks,
secret hysteria. I opened my mouth
to swallow stars.




In backseats
I learned the alchemy of guilt, lust,
and distance. I was unformed and total.
I swore like a sailor. But slowly the cops
stopped coming around. The heat lifted
its palms. The radio lost some teeth.




Now I see the landscape behind me
as through a Claude glass—
tinted deeper, framed just so, bits
of gilt edging the best parts.


I see my unlined face, a thousand
film stars behind the eyes. I was
every murderess, every whip-
thin alcoholic, every heroine
with the silver tongue. Always young
Paul Newman’s best girl. Always
a lightning sky behind each kiss.




Some days I watch myself
in the third person, speak to her
in the second. I say: I will
meet you in sleep.





I will know you
by your stillness and your shaking.
By your second-hand gown.
By your bruises left by mouths
since forgotten.






This is not
an elegy because I cannot bear
for it to be. It is only a tree branch
against the window. It is only a cherry
tomato slowly reddening in the garden.
I will put it in my mouth. It will
be sweet, and you will swallow.





(Picture credits: all pics via Grungegypsy)




32 comments:

  1. wow. this is beautiful. love your posts :)

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  2. oh wow. i'm lost with words...

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  3. You cannot imagine the immense deep sigh that this poem gave me. In many ways I see myself in this poet, how she describes her youth and how she feels now that she is older. I think this will speak volumes with many people :). Thanks for posting this :)


    Eeli x

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  4. I love the images you posted. They're breath taking. The poem was very beautiful also. Thanks for you comments. <3

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  5. Beautiful poem, thanks for breaking your routine to post it.

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  6. Love the poem, I can see why it inspired you and the images were so beautifully chosen :)

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  7. ...touching words for such moods that are reflected in the photographs- Lovely*weekend2U*

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  8. The poem and these images are SO beautiful. *sigh* to be sixteen... I feel old when I think about how long ago that was, yet I often feel I'm still at that age now.

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  9. BEAUTIFUL!
    all those pictures remeber me to the old times, the hippie and 68er stuff. the time where i wasn't on earth. i like that a lot.

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  10. I LOVE UR BLOG!!
    the first pic is woww!
    x

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  11. Nice poet.. and love your taste in pictures ;)

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  12. so touching...
    and all these photos are incredibly beautiful, thanks for it all!

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  13. Beautiful post!The text and the pictures blend in a perfect fantasy...Love it! PS:I added your blog to my blog roll. I hope you don't mind.

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  14. that was...beautiful. and perfectly illustrated...

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  15. Wow, the poem is incredible and I love how the photos compliment it!

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  16. your post is so beautifull, I love all the picturs, like the poem

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  17. wow, inspiring blog! thanks for your comment, i'm having a nice time reading your posts! x

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  18. Those photos are absolutely amazing. You're so beautiful! :)

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  19. Love the poem, and once again stunning photos!
    XOXOXO
    Libby
    http://fashionconfectionairy.weebly.com

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  20. these picture are so gorgeous!

    http://pinkchampagnefashion.blogspot.com/

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  21. Beautiful post.

    I love the light, the originality... everything.

    C.Elizabeth

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  22. Suchh a gorgeous poem. I love the photos you've chosen to go with it -really awesome post! xx

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  23. that's a wonderfully lovely peom. It really touched me. I love the fantastic and romantic photos in between too....

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  24. This poem is so beautiful, I love the images you picked to go with it too. x

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  25. Aww thank you for the comment. :)

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  26. yikes,
    now that is a wonderful poem.

    all of those photos are so dreamy. especially the light splattered second one. i'm fascinated by it.

    i shall definitely come by your blog again, its lovely.



    chelsea jade.

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  27. That is a beautiful poem - and such lovely images to go along with it!!

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  28. love this poem so honest - and the pictures are perfect with it!

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  29. Beautiful poem and beautiful pictures! Your blog is a world of beauty:)

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