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The samples of Poetry by Viggo
Mortensen shown here are taken from his book, Recent Forgeries:
HOME
HE'S
GOT A DEEP, ABIDING RESPECT
VERGING
ON IDOL WORSHIP
FOR
WHERE THINGS END UP.
THERE
ARE UNOPENED LETTERS
IN
HIS REFRIGERATOR, A FAKE
FINGERNAIL
IN THE SOAPDISH,
SHOES
EVERYPLACE.
THESE
THINGS, AND MANY MORE
LEAVINGS,
FRAGMENTS, BALANCING
REMINDERS
OF A BREEZE
FROM
A SLAMMED DOOR--
CONFIGURATIONS
OF SANCTIFIED LOOSE ENDS--
HAVE
BECOME THE LIVING NET
ABOVE
WHICH HE PERFORMS
THE
MOVEMENTS THAT MAKE
THE
CLOCK WORK.
--What
are some of the things that works for me in this poem? The stanza
break from "balancing" to "reminders." It gives
the feeling of hovering, lingering, "trapezing" above the "living
net." Also, there is a picture of a room of Mortensen's
"home" in Recent Forgeries and the above poem makes me
think of this picture.
PROGRESS
I
HAVE RECORDINGS OF OUR VOICES
IN
ROOMS NOW COLLAPSED, OF US RUNNING
THROUGH
BLUE BUILDINGS THAT STOOD
FIFTY
YEARS. SOUNDS FROM A SCHOOL
WHERE
YOUR FOREHEAD WAS REOPENED
ON
THE SHOE-SHAPED SLIDE. PICTURES
OF
THE TEAL-GREEN TUX YOU WANTED
FOR
KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION. OF YOU,
WET-COMBED
HAIR AND RED-FACED HAPPY,
SITTING
WITH YOUR MOTHER, EATING CAKE.
--This
makes me think of the phrase, "Have your cake and eat it,
too." Why? Because of the title.
Poetry Index
Viggo Mortensen Index
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