12.04.2013

Unsleeping, or Freezing, or Treading Water

for Mark Kelliher

Funny, your stitch
in my side now aches
under my breast
as your leprechaun voice
chills to eskimo breath
& washes out like sand
on Popponesset Beach.
Death comes so early
this time of year--


Linking up with Izy’s prompt to the Real Toads: ESKIMO
Posted by Marian at 11:13 AM
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20 comments:

  1. Death can freeze in the region of the heart. Fine poem, Marian. Good use of Eskimo.

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  2. when did my blog become a memorial to the dead? make it stop!

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    1. to... zombies??? LOL. upon further review, I can *completely* see your point. dang. ~

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    2. Haha, watching TWD while real loved ones die around me, that is weird.

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  3. There are worse things for a blog to be, judging by this poem, Marian.Sorry you have to be dealing with this, but not sorry it produced this very fine bit of writing which speaks simply and clearly to and from the heart.

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  4. "I'm not dead yet!" - codger in The Holy Grail just pre-cudgeling. :) ~

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  5. You've really caught the cold and danger with this poem! Great job.

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  7. Amazing use of a minimum of words, Marian. I felt I could hear a faint leprechaun voice chilling to eskimo breath...so sad, but so well said.
    Luv, K

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  9. Holy hannah, this piece has legs. A very moving tribute to such a shocking loss. and your meeting of leprechaun and eskimo, absolutely absurdly poignant...you done him well, dear!

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  10. The starkness and brevity bring an emotive punch to each piece, Marian. Well done!

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  11. I want to read this again and again!

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  12. it's so, so sad, please don't. xox

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  14. It's valedictory with an undeniable veil of sadness, but there is the touch of the life-affirming playing about here and there as well. It's touching without descending into the maudlin.

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  15. The "washes out" phrase is so brilliant. Makes me think he died young… a lingering death? Either way, I feel the complete loss in these sadly beautiful words.

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  16. It just seems there are times when stark simplicity says more than a hundred words. Beautiful piece Marian.

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  17. Yours is such a moving write, Marian. It comes out of left field, with your unusual word pairings and images but what death doesn't?

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  18. well, Mark Kelliher was a master, truly a master, with words. funny, funny, poignant, and funny. his book i linked to above, The Nimrod, is THE funniest book i have ever read. i say everyone should read it in memory of his creative genius, gone far, far too soon.

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