Poetry Month - Day 6 (James Wright)

[moosesal]

As with the day 5 poem, this comes out of the Spring '05 issue of American Poet that I dug out of my inbox a few days ago while cleaning out my office. I've sort of been flipping around the pages, skipping the essays and just reading the poems and came across this and just thought it was lovely.

Milkweed by James Wright

While I stood here, in the open, lost in myself,
I must have looked a long time
Down the corn rows, beyond grass,
The small house,
White walls, animals lumbering toward the barn.
I look down now. It is all changed.
Whatever it was I lost, whatever I wept for
Was a wild, gentle thing, the small dark eyes
Loving me in secret.
It is here. At a touch of my hand,
The air fills with delicate creatures
From the other world.

The following came to me late last night while I was trying to fall asleep. I had some great lines that, of course, were completely lost to me when I roused myself enough to grab pen and paper. Maybe they'll come back. This is definitely a piece I'll probably revise to death. :)

(don't) always

your needs
and my needs
(don't) always mesh

I am selfish
and self-centered
and I (don't) always care

I (don't) always like who I see in the mirror
I (don't) always like who I see in my bed

I (don't) always feel like my life's getting better
I (don't) always think I'd be better off dead

I (don't) always listen
I (don't) always learn
I (don't) always manage to show you my love

(don't) tell me I'll always be just what you need
and (don't) make me believe that you'll always be here

because I (don't) always need you
and I (don't) always care