I must have been the same to her. - Robert Hass, Meditation at Lagunitas
After after after a a a while while while I I I understood understood understood that that that
and after I understood that that that then then then I I I understood that
under under under the stairs stood myself myself my self self self and her
her her and we,
talking talking talking
this way, dissolved into the eternal afternoon, solved the eternal and after
noon noon noon everything thing
thing thing thing thing thing thing
dissolves
solves
:
justice, pine, pine pine pine, hair,
blackberry – just just just
just pine for her again and
in the after after afternoon pine under
the stairs and after after a while while her hair
like black black
berries dissolves into the black black everything,
blackberry blackberry blackberry.
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I just read this for the first time (in Stats class mind you) and after I was done, I was amazed that this poem with this odd repetition that usually doesn't work was actually about to make me cry. This is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, have one comment and that is about the end. I don't know if it works. Please if someone has a more intelligent comment about this, write it down, but while I like this poem, ending it with italics and whole words - just so neatly - seems wrong.
It's so visceral. I'm with Madden, it makes me feel veeeery emotional. I haven't read the Hass poem, and here's my thoughts on it before I do (and then I'll read it and tell you if anything's changed...):
ReplyDeletei find the tone frustrated--desperate almost--and love that--unable to communicate and parsing syllables of words into other words. I understand it as a kind of lesson in nonsense with an understandable emotional current underneath it all. And despite that, I have clear images in my head. I'm having a hard time articulating it because I think it elicits a very non-verbal response. really cool.