Anne Sexton: 2 Poems
Thursday, 9. July 2009, 22:41:26
Anne Sexton.
Well if I only put up poetry during National Poetry Month there
certainly wouldn't be much poetry on this blog. So here are two
poems from Anne Sexton's book All My Pretty Ones (1962).
IN THE DEEP MUSEUM
My God, my God, what queer corner am I in?
Didn't I die, blood running down the post,
lungs gaping for air, die there for the sin
of anyone, my sour mouth giving up the ghost?
Surely my body is done? Surely I died?
And yet, I know, I'm here. What place is this?
Cold and queer, I sting with life. I lied.
Yes, I lied. Or else in some damned cowardice
my body would not give me up. I touch
fine cloth with my hands and my cheeks are cold.
If this is hell, then hell could not be much,
neither as special nor as ugly as I was told.
What's that I hear, snuffling and pawing its way
toward me? Its tongue knocks a pebble out of place
as it slides in, a sovereign. How can I pray?
It is panting; it is an odor with a face
like the skin of a donkey. It laps my sores.
It is hurt, I think, as I touch its little head.
It bleeds. I have forgiven murderers and whores
and now I must wait like old Jonah, not dead
nor alive, stroking a clumsy animal. A rat.
His teeth test me; he waits like a good cook,
knowing his own ground. I forgive him that,
as I forgave my Judas the money he took.
Now I hold his soft red sore to my lips
as his brothers crowd in, hairy angels who take
my gift. My ankles are a flute. I lose hips
and wrists. For three days, for love's sake,
I bless this other death. Oh, not in air --
in dirt. Under the rotting veins of its roots,
under the markets, under the sheep bed where
the hill is food, under the slippery fruits
of the vineyard, I go. Unto the bellies and jaws
of rats I commit my prophecy and fear.
Far below The Cross, I correct its flaws.
We have kept the miracle. I will not be here.
A CURSE AGAINST ELEGIES
Oh, love, why do we argue like this?
I am tired of all your pious talk.
Also, I am tired of all the dead.
They refuse to listen,
so leave them alone.
Take your foot out of the graveyard,
they are busy being dead.
Everyone was always to blame:
the last empty fifth of booze,
the rusty nails and chicken feathers
that stuck in the mud on the back doorstep,
the worms that lived under the cat's ear
and the thin-lipped preacher
who refused to call
except once on a flea-ridden day
when he came scuffing in through the yard
looking for a scapegoat.
I hid in the kitchen under the ragbag.
I refuse to remember the dead.
And the dead are bored with the whole thing.
But you -- you go ahead,
go on, go on back down
into the graveyard,
lie down where you think their faces are;
talk back to your old bad dreams.
WIDGETIZE
ellinidata # 10. July 2009, 00:39
this is a special entry
PainterWoman # 10. July 2009, 00:42
edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 00:59
Thank you for responding to one of the poetry posts. And I am glad to bring it to you for Anne.
@ Pam
OH yeah. Like an open wound raw.
Stardancer # 10. July 2009, 03:14
gdare # 10. July 2009, 04:51
No computers back in those days, no "undo" or "delete row". You should be sure about what you want to type or you would type it all over again
thetomster # 10. July 2009, 04:52
edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 05:15
Even I remember those days. Except for her probably not even correcting fluid.
@ Tomster
Well said.