The folks at Big Tent Poetry requested we write of a Holiday, so I wrote, today - of a moment on Monday: President's Day here in the U.S.
Must I write of that unlikely sight?
The empty of entrails saber tooth
tiger being escorted on his
throne, adorned by four well -muscled
and oh-so-careful men
Humans honor the Beast King
He who hangs from his sceptres
into the Art Deco museum doorway -
must I write of this?
I would rather sit in morning's almost
darkness and fret of what is to come
on this meeting ridden Friday, this
pre-show fussing, this chosen lack
of engagement with images that
chose me to be their scribe
Damn you, taut images
I want to stew
in the gravy
of excess worry
My tarnished mood
doesn't have the energy to
catalog the wonder of the
curved tooth, bigger
than any I had seen
or wonder what it feels
like to stand in that
gazebo as old as my
grandmother amidst
elderly rose bushes -
born before this ghetto
sprang up around it
Damn you, taut images
I want to stew
in the gravy
of excess them
vs me
It was President's Day
when we were exploring
all-things-natural in
Exposition Park when
the most unlikely visitor
almost covertly passed me by
Almost before I recognized
this one-of-a-kind moment
the parade of people and
ancient Savannah skin
was sucked into the white
marbled guts of this institution
of wildlife tamed and stuffed
and displayed
Without thought I chased it
clicking and smiling and
getting just a smidge closer
The tiger never allowed me to stew
or fuss or fidget or frown
Forgetting for just a moment
about the perceived need to
stew in the gravy
of excess anxiety
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This sort of sneaks up on the reader. At least it snuck up on me.
Good word choices here.
Posted by: mark | February 25, 2011 at 08:39 AM
That stewing in the gravy of excess ____ really charmed me for no particular reason... a peculiar and unique metaphor for a peculiar and unique sight. :)
Posted by: Joseph Harker | February 25, 2011 at 09:00 AM
Julie, some very interesting images in this piece.
Well done.
Posted by: pamela | February 25, 2011 at 09:59 AM
ah, yes. I recognize the tarnished mood far too well.
Posted by: barbara | February 26, 2011 at 09:52 AM
Interesting imagery - I love stewing in the gravy of anxiety!
Posted by: Tumblewords | February 26, 2011 at 03:45 PM
Julie, I love the mood and tone of your poem.
Posted by: Uma Gowrishankar | February 26, 2011 at 07:40 PM
Fascinating! And I loved the "stew in the gravy
of excess" refrain. Delicious!
Posted by: Madeleine Begun Kane | February 27, 2011 at 01:13 AM
Such a strange experience, to not catalog the wonder, and tell it so well!
Posted by: Deb | February 27, 2011 at 04:28 PM
what an interesting moment!
Posted by: carolee | February 27, 2011 at 07:05 PM
I love this:
"I want to stew
in the gravy
of excess worry"
Posted by: Laurie Kolp | March 02, 2011 at 07:01 AM