Nothing Beyond Mercy Poem by Charles Chaim Wax
Nothing Beyond Mercy
For the first time in 14 months
I went to the movies
afterwards we went to China New Star
myself and six friends.
The oldest at 78, Max, a diabetic
with three toes already removed said,
“The book was better, always is.”
Nellie Nilan who had lost 200 pounds
in the last two years
and had never married and at
58 probably never would, said,
“I couldn’t cry
I wanted to cry but I couldn’t cry.”
The film had ended with both lovers
finally finding love
in one another’s arms.
“I told you’s all, ” said Larry, “we shoulda
seen King Kong.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep last night, ” Mona moaned,
“so at 2 AM I watched TV, the Comedy channel
Lynn something can’t remember her last name
funny and filthy making fun of everybody.”
“That’s not funny, ” said Vivian
born without a left ear
but never combed her hair to cover the absence.
“Where’s the damn waiter, ” exclaimed Ed Henwood,
“in a fancy place like this
the guy shoulda been here by now.”
Jim Wink simply said, “All in good time.”
“Meaning what? ” said Henwood.
“Meaning: we’ll all be dead
soon enough, what’s the hurry.”
“Do me a favor, take your freakin’ medicine
next time you come out in public.”
“You’re quiet, Bernstein, why? ” asked Ella Le Blanc
almost bald and completely
grey at 26, crushing anxiety
having sopped up the last possible speck of human joy.
“The God complex again, wanting to grant
Salvation to all beings
but unable to—
can’t handle it, just wanna be Bernstein,
eat a little Lo Mein, go home, sleep.”
“Meaning what? ” said Henwood.
“In the movie
when a farmer plucked that chicken
still alive and shrieking for mercy
I could feel every feather
being yanked out.”
“I didn’t see that.”
“As the lovers were kissing
off to the left.”
charming and different. a spectacle of observation. a very enjoyable read. <3
What I like here is the swift characterization of the folks at dinner-a few deft touches and they are real. To me, it feels like you want to write a novel, and from reading some of your poems today, I would say you certainly have the stories for it. Have you tried that? By the way, that image of the chicken being plucked live while the lovers kiss is a shockingly accurate example of the way the world works-gruesome and intense and present. The image makes me think of the Icarus poem by Auden called 'Musee de Beaux Arts.' Good stuff.
Perhaps the last four lines illustrate how people view works, Charles. Some will always see what is happening elsewhere in a film: something that is out of the main shot and, for them, it is that something that is important. And this is odd, because your works tend to be a lot of these important things and this goes back to a comment I made on an earlier piece of yours, that you start out with one thing and introduce other things, that at firts sight, seem to be irrelevant, but in actual fact are important components of the works because without them it would be impossible to get the whole picture.
I loved your characters Charles, are they from your imagination or for real. Quite an 'unfortunate' mixture with all their disablilities, but fascinating all the same. Great conversation between them. This is a great write and I loved reading it. Thanks for posting. Love Ernestine XXX
Yes, we all need mercy! ! I hope chickens and humans will receive it.
I love your conversational style Charles. Sounds like nothing but pain, beyond mercy to me though! That last few lines really had me cringing. I could see the terror in the chickens eyes! I shouldn't laugh. 10 from chuckling, not clucking, Tai
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/26/2024 2:41:56 PM # 1.0.0.1119
that ending its just so i don't know it just does it for me. Lylyanna