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 POETRY

YOU DON'T KNOW ME

You don't know me.

I have dust in every room;
trashy novels in my cupboards.
I eat dinner with a plastic spoon.

You just see my sweater in faded blue,
my straight black skirt,
these ugly, orthopedic shoes.

But you don't know me...

I've written erotic poems
about people I've never known;
I spend many happy days alone.

I've rescued deserted dogs
from empty parking lots;
I can tie a sailor's knot.

I'm not that nice;
My humor has a satirical bite.
I'm tangy like a sugared orange slice.

If you knew me, you'd know...

I'm a complicated delight,
full of hidden meaning,
like Van Gogh's Starry Night.

________________________
 THE LAST AUTUMN

In yellow leaves,
you lie laughing,
pink from the morning chill.
Leaves swirl about you,
obsessed golden moths
fluttering about your clothes;
loving the light of you.

I know my winter is coming;
full of cold, gray ashes,
sleeping earth.
But you are so beautiful,
so bright.
You make this last harvest,
sweetly divine.

Heaven, I believe--
will be a memory of you,
rolling with childish glee
among the dying autumn leaves.
____________________________

COLD MORNING

In that gray moment before dawn
when even the stars drip icicles,
white frost burns my stiff lungs
stings my blue-bitten toes,
I stand quiet
in clean, fallen snow,
waiting for death or morning,
not caring which comes first


as long as its wrapped in warm flannel.

 

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LOVE AND LIGHTER FLUID  BY: TIRZAH GOODWIN

_____________

New Poem DECEMBER 2011

TITLE: FORK

I took a fork to my belly

Scrapped it across the white belly flesh

Leaving pink furrows and spots of red

And for a second,

That sweet sting

The swollen burning scratches

Muted the noise

The failure tracks

Playing with all the dedication

An angry marching band

In that moment of sweet pain

I didn't feel anything

I was white, stretched,

empty

Of anger, anxiety

My teeth stopped grinding...

Along with all that frantic energy

demanding I bash my head against

the nearest concrete wall

Run into traffic

Wrap a rope around my neck

And dangle

Gouge out my eyes

Bite through my wrists

Until my hands turn warm and red

Drive my car into oncoming traffic...



That voice stopped

With the claws across my belly

I found silence

Soft sweet warm silence

Where I can close my eyes

And be

Just be

Until the sting fades

The static turns up

The internal wailing

Rising even higher after the pause

it won't stop

Stop, stop

Won't stop

Louder and louder

And louder

Metal drums full of pennies

Vibrating on high

Hammers on sheet metal

Voices, a thousand voices

Muttering

Whispering

Screaming

Stupid, worthless, useless fuck

Hate you, despise you

Fuck you

Wish you were dead

You should just die

Worthless

Worthless

Worthless

Useless

Fucking

Nothing

Die

So I drag the fork across my belly

Again and again

Until I bleed

red

Because in the sting

It's quiet

but still I cry

Tears dripping on the table

Reflecting my ugly

Back at me

And I'm sorry

About the fork-you know

Sorry....

but you know I'm a...

useless

worthless

stupid

nothing...