Poem for Poetry Thursday

Feels good to have a poem written early on Thursday.

I was going to use this poem on the back of a postcard, but I liked it enough to post for Poetry Thursday. Looking forward to reading your poems this week!


Skinny Dip


Make peace with what cannot be seen
and what you do not know.
Try not to enter the pond scum,
the algae that swirls
in dark, empty rooms called water.
Pretend your body is a submarine—
impenetrable, even to your own thoughts.
Those breasts, underinflated flotation devices.
Your thick middle will keep you buoyant
though your arms, slender as sea grass,
won’t save anyone, not even yourself.
This is a world for one: the current’s
sublime lilt. The mumbles of light
from drunken stars. Nothing,
not even you, goes unnoticed.
You can swim for hours
and never get away.

Comments

Anonymous said…
"Pretend your body is a submarine—
impenetrable, even to your own thoughts."

Simply beautiful....

I liked the way it moves.
Odessa said…
oh, i so love this one! such beautiful lines: current's sublime lilt, mumbles of light from drunken stars. the poem spoke to me for some reason. thank you for this!
Anonymous said…
Excellent - & under a slyly ironic title!
patti said…
This conveyed a certain frightening helplessness. Loved all of this especially 'The mumbles of light from drunken stars.'
Catherine said…
Lovely.
Wonderful! I love the matter of factness at the end. "You can swim for hours and never get away."
January said…
Thanks Constance, and everyone, for the comments.
paisley said…
i would have been haunted indeed had i read this on a post card delivered to me!!!!!
Trenting said…
Wonderful poem, thanks for sharing!
mumbles of light
from drunken stars.

I really like that phrase...
Anonymous said…
When I saw "pond scum" I didn't know what I was getting into, but I took the dive and came up fine. Nice work.
Regina said…
The first line of your poem really sets the tone... I loved this, January...
etcetera said…
wow! this poem flowed like waves, dark and light all at once. "Nothing, not even you, goes unnoticed." Perfectly captured... thanks for this!
Anonymous said…
Fills me with the sudden desire to go skinny dipping - and I don't even like to swim!
Tumblewords: said…
Many nice phrases here - I particularly like the final two lines!
paris parfait said…
So many lovely turns of phrase here, January. I especially like "the mumbles of light from drunken stars."
Deb said…
So many great lines. For me it was a statement of belief in self. Affirming.
Kay Cooke said…
That is sublime. Watery and reflective - wavery and sweet.
"Make peace with what cannot be seen and what you do not know." January, I needed these words today...beautiful. I hope you are having a nice summer--off to catch up on your posts!
Love,
D.
Sasha said…
beautiful, I love the whispers of dark undercurrents throughout the poem
jillypoet said…
The language in this poem flows like water. Great verbs, great imagery. Very nice!

PS: I have a postcard all ready for you. Been ready for a week. Just needs a stamp!

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