body thoughts: after | Teen Ink

body thoughts: after

July 18, 2014
By migwam ELITE, Tumwater, Washington
migwam ELITE, Tumwater, Washington
240 articles 20 photos 151 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present." --Marcus Aurelius


it pools deep
in holes in hands
in holy crooked neck and shoulder bones
of sleeping giants;
let us breath,
we and we and
we
with our tangled bones
inside the low moan of the morning.
let us burn each other’s skins
retain bruises
in the shape of hollow mouths
follow lines that lead to planets
i didn’t think i’d see
and climb down mountains
through brambled fingers and rivers of hot water.
now i live beneath
this desert
full of thick flowers, heavy with
honeyed growth
and recall
previous ache and verdant pain
watching scratches rise and fall on empty skin
sore from the jump but reminded:

this is the time to leap
and not to love.

this is the time to think
body thoughts.



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This article has 3 comments.


Mckay ELITE said...
on Jul. 27 2014 at 8:05 pm
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."
—Apple’s “Think Different” commercial, 1997
“Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn't understood.”
― Weihui Zhou

I am guilty of overthinking. :P Nonetheless, your poetry tantalizes my mind. I can't just read it; I visualize, breathe it, and overthink it. I enjoy discovering your inspirations and back-stories to your poems. And love to challenge myself with trying to understand your poetry. I must know: what is this poem talking about, my dear?

migwam ELITE said...
on Jul. 27 2014 at 6:26 am
migwam ELITE, Tumwater, Washington
240 articles 20 photos 151 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present." --Marcus Aurelius

As ever, my dear, you both flatter and overthink. Contrary to what we were all taught by the AP Englsh teachers we either idolized or reviled, poetry is meant to be tasted, not analyzed. I do love your ideas about this one, though.

Mckay ELITE said...
on Jul. 23 2014 at 6:51 pm
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."
—Apple’s “Think Different” commercial, 1997
“Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn't understood.”
― Weihui Zhou

Now again, I'm still thinking this is about s*x, youth s*x. I love how you followed up body thoughts: before with this sequel, if you will. Here, I see two lovers the morning after giving into thier desires. The speaker has realized that it's still not about love, but about pleasuring the fickle NOW. Relishing the minute details about the person he/she is tangled with as of now: the "brambled fingers", "hollow mouths", bruises and scratches, "previous ache and verdant pain", and the beauty of waking up with someone who might not be THE ONE, but THE AS OF NOW.    It's our generation being beautifully depicted in this poem. It's not about falling in love, but about loving, if that makes any sense. Why wait to fall in love, but rather love now? Love the now, and its fickleness.    I'm in love with these two poems. They're flawless, my literary sister. You are the voice of this generation. ~~Your constant reader, Mckay. <3