Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Untitled

Do you ever wonder
if the poem you’re writing
is the last you’ll give a title to?
The last line,
last word,
final number in a long sequence
started with a red crayon in an eight pack set.
It’s not like a breakfast of blueberry pancakes
liberally doused in Aunt Jemima’s buttery best,
certainly missed, but
quickly forgotten over corn beef and beer.
Will it come from an ecclesiastical famine
turning pages of fresh words
into white fields of choking dust?
Or, the silent trumpet
of an angel in a checkered apron,
calling you in at long last
to wash up for eternity?
Could this be the reason
some poets write poems untitled?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really love this one.

Masago said...

Agreed...someone ought to include it in your eulogy (but let that be a long time from now).

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Indeed I have Pat.

I used to suffer about what to call things and now I am begining to accept that poetry is very much ineffable by nature. There is no, well less, struggle in that realization.

Very nicely said.

Bethany said...

One of those things I wish I'd said first! Brilliant.

Joyce said...

You have your way with words!!

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

interesting thought-- :)

Unknown said...

Like my friend's husband who sat up in his death bed and said 'Oh shit' thinking he had died and realized he had not yet... and his lovely wife tells him ... Harry! do you want your last words to be oh shit??? ... would you want your last poem to read.. untitled??? just a thought Pat.

Kai said...

hi, guess who
its me kai....hehe
i love ur poem...
its a classic

Neetee said...

calling you in at long last
to wash up for eternity?

EXCELLENT!

Your heart shines here with words so well put that there is no way this poem can go unread.
It's wonderful.

Fragmented said...

something to ponder on...

I really like this pat, I saved in it my hard drive :)

Carol said...

It is great, Pat!

floots said...

this set me thinking
for me - i think
i often hide behind titles
other times i've used numbers (73b)
i think the truth is that "the last" anything is scary
good one

polona said...

wow, pat - this one can take me in many directions... superb write!

Elena Horowitz-Brookes said...

Wow Pat, This is a very haunting thought. Our soul isn't instilled into those pancakes. But the writing...I'm with floots, this really got me thinking. Fantastic piece!!!

Pat Paulk said...

Thank you Aurora!

Thanks Jon!

Maddy, thank you for the great compliment!!

Thanks Vaughn! I agree a loooooong time!!

Thanks Don!!

Mawvunwe, thank you for coming by and leaving such a wonderful comment!!

Joyce, I like having my way! But with words is about the only time I get it.

Andrew, occasionally one drops out.

Mikaelah, you may have a point. Good story!

Kai, thank you!!

QNT, your comments are always filled with morsels of sweet delight!! Thank you!!

Luanne, thank you for a great compliment!!

Thank you Carol!!

Floots, you're right!! The last anything is scary!!

Polona, I always like WOW!!

Boulies, WOW! 2 WOWS in a row!! What a lucky guy I am!! Thank you!!

Neoma said...

I wrote my last real poem about three years ago, since then they have been silly, stupid, or just vanity. So none of them got names.........for that matter none of them got saved either. And like pancakes, soon forgotten...... haha