Middle-Aged Poem by Jonathan Galassi
Middle-Aged
He was middle-aged which
means that the mixture of
death and life in him was
still undetermined. And
all of a sudden he took
an unwarranted turn—impul-
sive, convulsive. As in
those nineteenth-century
plays where the roof gets
blown off the convention-
al house and the audience
is left to gape at the
heroine bareheaded—him.
He has a gift for self-
serious hyperbole and he
resorts to it regularly
to describe and explain
his behavior. Not that
anything happened. But
he stared into something,
an abyss or a garden, and
now in the aftermath he’s
more alone than before.
He has not been forgiven,
not that he wants to be.
What he wants is to know
what he saw, that it wasn’t
theatrics. But that’s
hard to achieve, things
being what they are, the
others implicated being
themselves. So he walks
in circles and wonders
and kicks at the leaves.
Very interesting Wondering about life, trying to make sense of it Not sure what you want, yet feeling a lack of something
the mixture of death and life in him was still undetermined. Brilliant!
CONGRATULATIONS being chosen by Poem Hunter and Team as The Classic Poem of The Day. Most deserving! TOP Marks 5 Stars. Enjoyed reading this thoughtful poem
The poem "Middle-Aged" by Jonathan Galassi explores themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the balance between life and death. It reflects on the uncertainties and impulsive decisions that come with middle age, highlighting the mixture of life's vibrancy and the looming presence of mortality.
At the mid point between life and death.... true and perfect. Many congratulations! !
So he walks in circles and wonders and kicks at the leaves......nice concluding. A beautiful poem nicely executed. Five stars.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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9/18/2024 8:17:12 PM # 1.0.0.1119
We all like to believe that time of life gone by was not theatrical or a dream but that is the strongest impression left to wonder about. This poem felt strange in reading yet left an impression.