(no subject)

[grammarfight.livejournal.com]

Worthless



My fingers
cling to your shoulder blades now
until fucking becomes
an urging, a way to shake you, gently. How

can I tell you I don't feel
safe, when inside
a man holds bars before his face

believing himself into a prison,
when parrots fly from his open mouth
as he tries to speak, repeating worthless,

worthless? I'm trying to love you

but I don't know how, & then
I start to remember—we are locked together
& pushing, pushing.

—Nick Flynn

cross-posted at grammarfight

Comments

[sybaritica.livejournal.com]

Lovely.

Should the first line of stanza two read "can I tell you I don't FEEL" instead of "fell"?

[grammarfight.livejournal.com]

Indeed—I hope it didn't throw off your reading.

[glass-doll.livejournal.com]

wow

[liliths-nymph.livejournal.com]

i do like this.

[archethereal.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, YES, NICK FLYNN IS FUCKING POETRY.

OR, POETRY FUCKING.

This, people, this is poetry.

[aimlesswanderer.livejournal.com]

I like it that poetry can excite you so.

./w

[archethereal.livejournal.com]

It's damn-near embarrassing what excites me. I consider Nick Flynn to be of the type that pulls me from a stupor and milks me into truth.

And, thank you for this. : )

[penguin-dodger.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[sirfeste.livejournal.com]

asdfahsrjtr

[iatrogenicmyth.livejournal.com]

I've always loved Nick Flynn. From his poetry to his book - "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City" - he's a genius.

[grammarfight.livejournal.com]

I don't know that book—thanks for the recommendation. I have Some Ether and Blind Huber, and I've been hungry for another but haven't taken the time to look into it. I always appreciate your feedback...and wish you posted more. I do love reading yours.

[straight-outta.livejournal.com]

this made me cry and i can't even pinpoint why. i suppose that's poetry.

[grammarfight.livejournal.com]

In the short time since I posted it, this poem has "changed" for me quite a bit. But not at all, right? It's my life transforming around a stationary object pregnant with a million meanings.