The Tangled Branch Discussion Forums

Suppose a man wants to travel
home to see his mother— 

so as his plane lifts him away,
she would not be there to see him off; 

he can only imagine her handkerchief
waving, becoming smaller 

and smaller until she becomes
as anonymous as a field of poppies 

he is passing over on the way
to seeing her. 

And suppose, while flying  home alone,
he learns of her unexpected death, 

this news rising as a flock of starlings
might with a pure and sudden sadness.

Wonderful metaphor, and wonderful weaving of images.

The melding to the scattered image of the nameless graves [deaths, forgotten lives] of WWI is masterful. 

Last line -- pure but sudden  >> pure and sudden -- just a thought.

I love this poem.

T

Tracy Mitchell wrote: ↑

Fri May 11, 2018 11:48 am

Wonderful metaphor, and wonderful weaving of images.

The melding to the scattered image of the nameless graves [deaths, forgotten lives] of WWI is masterful. 

Last line -- pure but sudden  >> pure and sudden -- just a thought.

I love this poem.

T

I like the "and" suggestion.  Smoother.  Thank you.