Fuck But Youth Is Beautiful
Friday, March 30, 2007 Fuck but youth is beautiful
in its exercise and practice.
There is no replacement for the irreplaceable, unpaced mash
that is the face full of watery plumpness
framing pink lips.
Damn, I used to be there,
and I hated it; it was ugly, salacious, loud;
I wished there were a turnstile
through which I could walk and purchase a different form of transport.
I desired
and was repulsed by the suggestive twist in every shape and event;
I wanted Plato's pure form;
I wanted simplicity scrubbed clean.
I scoured my skin with a green plastic scrub pad
and wished that I knew more than how not to live.
I waded through tall grass and bushes,
I felt the sting of nettles on my knees,
and it made me feel old.
Youth was fucking beautiful
when I watched others turn their hips at corners and doors
or brush their fine hair back from fat skin
with ripe hands.
I knew that my own youth was also watched
and that it was not mine to pickle in
but something to behold in the round bottoms and lean legs,
the soft chins of the freshly suckled,
a thing to watch and shape an appetite
my own light walk could not inspire.
Reader Comments (10)
Whoa. Just read this today, finally. Now sorry I didn't get to it sooner. Aiyah, but that's fine, fine work, ma'am. Thank you.
I love it!
You did a great job of conveying the undertone of regret and longing in the poem and really liked this line, "I wished there were a turnstile
through which I could walk and purchase a different form of transport"
Wow. You had me from the first word! Good job!
"and wished that I knew more than how not to live."- this says it all for me...
Just brilliant on so many different levels, Schmutzie.
"and that it was not mine to pickle in" is a fabulous line (among many). Your poem got to me today, and not simply because I turn 50 in a few weeks.
There are toom many great lines to pick. All I can say I enjoyed reading it. Very good flow.
gautami
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2007/04/ode-to-bard.html" REL="nofollow">Ode to the Bard
Hey girl,
It's Deb from Ohanlon's. I really like what you have going on from the line "I wanted Plato's pure form" til the end. Somehow the opening lines seem a bit prosaic--perhaps a sharper scene-setting. I don't know; just being critical as usual. But I do like it. I'll read on.
Non-mean, constructive criticism is a good thing, Deb. Thanks, and I'm glad you came by.
peter from ohanlans good stuff