House Guest by Elizabeth Bishop

[kizzikat]

The sad seamstress
who stays with us this month
is small and thin and bitter.
No one can cheer her up.
Give her a dress, a drink,
roast chicken, or fried fish -
it's all the same to her.

She sits and watches TV.
No, she watches zigzags.
"Can you adjust the TV?"
"No," she says. No hope.
she watches on and on,
without hope, without air.

Comments

[elenbarathi]

Oh, this is brilliant.

[kizzikat]

Thanks! It certainly paints a picture of two different lives.

[med_cat]

A thought-provoking poem...

[kizzikat]

Yes, it says as much about the narrator and her world as it does about the seamstress.

[med_cat]

Yes, it certainly does

[two_grey_rooms]

this is fucking great. that ending! and i love elizabeth bishop so much.

[kizzikat]

Glad you enjoyed it!