Monday, February 13, 2012

A Tuesday poem - and a writing exercise

Covenant

On my dark tongue, on my honeycomb bones
my brittle hair and these eyes the clouds pass by
un-named. On your nervous stutter, on your runner's legs
your scarred arm and the contraband you can't
declare. On the poem I put on replay,
my lost bankbooks, my first husband's advice.
On your cellared wine, your forms
in triplicate, your ex-girlfriend's intervention order.

A word like salt or troth
a word that can't add up
lawyers fees
access weekends
child support payments.
Like blood on the tongue.

On my dark honeycomb
my brittle and the clouds that pass by.
On your nervous running
your scars and undeclared contraband.
On our thirst, on our hunger.

Catherine Bateson, Marriage for Beginners, John Leonard Press, 2009.

I have to stop posting my own poems - do forgive me, gentle reader. I haven't been in touch with any poets, am snowed under with the beginning of the teaching year and I've been trying to write every day and learn French. Not to mention the felting.

To cheer everyone up - here's a fun writing exercise, especially for Valentine's Day:
Write a Valentine's message to yourself. Make it real. Love yourself and pour that love into a poem or prose poem or song lyric.

Oh, and before you do that, skip over to the Tuesday Poem blog and read some more Tuesday poems.

4 comments:

Helen Lowe said...

Catherine, I think it's great that you post your own poems. I very much enjoyed this one.

Elizabeth Welsh said...

Catty, I really enjoy reading your poems each week, please keep them coming! They have such a fresh honesty to them. Love 'honeycomb bones'.

Cattyrox said...

A belated thank you to Helen and Elizabeth.

Melissa Green said...

Catherine, I've been away from reading the blogs I appreciate, and am always glad to see you post your lovely poems from "Marriage for Beginners." Be of good cheer, you are a writer today, you were a writer yesterday, you will be a writer next week. Your fine mind is busy ploughing the depths, and ruminating, ruminating, and will soon pluck something wonderful for you to chivvy over. Your 24 books-read-and-reviewed is very ambitious. I wish you much luck!