ManicDDaily

Silver Slipper

Due to the death of my beloved father last week, I’ve spent the last few days somewhat focused on loss.  Here is an older poem, a pantoum, that deals with the loss of a friend.  (I posted a very early draft of this poem some time ago.  I think this version is much improved.  I am linking it to dVerse Poets Pub open link night.)

I’m not sure the poem quite works, even improved.  However, the pantoum form, which is by its nature a bit of an unwieldy dance (with all the repeating lines) seems to suit the subject.   (As with all my poetry, pauses in reading should be taken based on punctuation, not line breaks.)

Last Anniversary Party (During the Chemo)

She walked that night on the side
edges of silver slippers,
her smile stretched movie-star wide
above feet the meds had blistered.

The edges of silver slippers,
gathering (elasticized)
around feet the meds had blistered,
wedged in a slow waltz that defined

our gathering.  Elasticized
sweetness stretched around the bitter
wedge that their slow waltz defined.
With her husband, her too, we fitted

into that sweetness (stretched around the bitter
to make it last), pain astride.
With her husband, her too, we fitted
loss with all that sparkled fine

to make it last.  Pain astride
a smile stretched movie-star wide
lost none of that sparkle fine.
She walked that night still on this side.