http://pyreneeees.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] pyreneeees.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] greatpoetry2008-06-12 08:26 am
Entry tags:

Poem and request

I don't generally post requests, but my uncle committed suicide yesterday afternoon, and since I'm far away and can't change anything in my life right now, I'd just like some poetry to help me cope with it. Anything you have - death, suicide, grief - I don't want to be morbid, but you all know the small power a poem can have sometimes. Anything would be appreciated.

And a gift:

Closing in on the Harvest by Leo Dangel

No one could stop him.
A bad heart, he still
worked in the field
and said he would die
on the tractor.
Out on the Super-M
picking corn, somehow
he got off, though,
and sat on the ground,
leaning against the tire,
where we found him.
His eyes were wide open,
looking mean as hell,
like when he was alive
and chores weren't done,
but his hand
lay on his chest, gentle,
making us think
he was pledging something.
We could smell
the dry wind.
The tractor radio was on
to the World Series—
Cardinals 7, Yankees 5,
Bob Gibson on the mound,
one out to go—
the steel corn wagon
was not quite full.

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