And when, finally, you found your way back,
It seemed you barely recognized the place—
Or rather, the place barely recognized you.
. . .
But visiting friends, their faces both the same
And not the same, you realized how the loss
Of a common language could undo the world:
How the sky over each landscape contained
The blueprints of a city that might rise
When all your generation had gone away,
And how lovers were, in the end, reduced
To the sounds of names, the flesh utterly forgotten.
And it seemed then that you'd come all this way
Only to pass unnoticed through the place,
Driving fast down dangerous, familiar roads
Like a shadow you had cast years before.
It seemed you barely recognized the place—
Or rather, the place barely recognized you.
. . .
But visiting friends, their faces both the same
And not the same, you realized how the loss
Of a common language could undo the world:
How the sky over each landscape contained
The blueprints of a city that might rise
When all your generation had gone away,
And how lovers were, in the end, reduced
To the sounds of names, the flesh utterly forgotten.
And it seemed then that you'd come all this way
Only to pass unnoticed through the place,
Driving fast down dangerous, familiar roads
Like a shadow you had cast years before.
2 comments:
Dear Arch: This is personal to you.
1. I can see why you like Joe Bolton's poetry; yours has a great resemblance to it.
2. Your first Poetry Link, "poetisphere," has nothing to do with poetry. maybe you should revisit it.
Respectfully,
Piero
1. Thank you, Piero; that's a great compliment for me!
2. Thanks for letting me know; it used to be. I haven't checked that list for a while now. I'll remove that and add your blog to the list. And if you find any other links that've become irrelevant, please let me know!
Best,
Ashraf
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