Imagining Defeat Poem by David Berman
Imagining Defeat
She woke me up at dawn,
her suitcase like a little brown dog at her heels.
I sat up and looked out the window
at the snow falling in the stand of blackjack trees.
A bus ticket in her hand.
Then she brought something black up to her mouth,
a plum I thought, but it was an asthma inhaler.
I reached under the bed for my menthols
and she asked if I ever thought of cancer.
Yes, I said, but always as a tree way up ahead
in the distance where it doesn't matter
And I suppose a dead soul must look back at that tree,
so far behind his wagon where it also doesn't matter.
except as a memory of rest or water.
Though to believe any of that, I thought,
you have to accept the premise
that she woke me up at all.
ADDITION THREE: CONGRATULATIONS being chosen by Poem Hunter and Team, the world's largest POEMSITE as The Modern Poem Of The Day! TOP Marks and Myriad more
TWO and FINAL: It reflects the themes of impermanence, regret, and the fleeting nature of relationships that are prevalent throughout his writing.
ONE: Compared to Berman's other works, 'Imagining Defeat' stands out for its raw emotional intensity and its exploration of the psychological complexities of loss.
Then she brought something black up to her mouth, a plum I thought, but it was an asthma inhaler. I reached under the bed for my menthols and she asked if I ever thought of cancer. asthma inhaler...... very fine poem. tony
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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9/21/2024 3:03:44 AM # 1.0.0.1119
this is one of my favorite poems