While pondering what’s left of my future today,
I involuntarily breathed a sigh;
A heavy sigh, with an atomic weight of
One Twelve, by coincidence
The same as ununbium,
A man-made element, created by
Accelerating zinc against lead.
The process precisely describes how I felt,
My zinc crashing against the world’s lead,
The only difference being that
Ununbium decays, mercifully, within
A fraction
Of a thousandth
Of a second…
While my sigh
And I
Both decay at a slower,
More torturous pace.
And after the sigh
But within the time
It takes ununbium to decay
A woman who’d heard me
Said my,
That’s quite a sigh
Are you okay?
Are you having a bad day?
I smiled for a moment
At her Seussian rhyme,
And said gently, I’ve seen better days.
She replied I hope
That things will work out;
I’ll say a prayer for you.
And I wondered
If there can be angels
Without a god.
skill on display - free verse and blank and yet the rhythm of the lines and the abstraction of a moment with sensitive examination of that moment made it adhere as very fine poetry. I have saved this to learn from - in the hope that its regular study will allow me to write like this.
Haven't asked myself the question, but enjoyed you - so weary and yet so slyly spiraling to arrive at it and ask. rd
I've asked myself that question many times - glad to see I'm not the only one! This was a delight to read. Hugs Anna xxx
You're so good, that the answer to that question is clearly and without a doubt: yes.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
your verse deftly captures the feeling of exasperation/frustration that is so hard to define but with which I can truly identify with. 'My zinc crashing against the world’s lead' resounds in my existance right now. very impressive work, Gary, and one that I must revisit. -Tailor