The clink of spoons in coffee cups sounds hollow
at the reception at the funeral home
and bitter grounds are laced through the last swallow
like wax-worms burrowing through honeycombs.
At the reception at the funeral home
the doubtful shadows riddle darkened air
like wax-worms burrowing through honeycombs
like cobwebs hanging over dim-lit stairs.
The doubtful shadows riddle darkened air
around a head with unkempt hair as drab
as cobwebs hanging over dim-eyed stares,
as dingy sheets on mortuary slabs.
Around a head with unkempt halo, drab
discussions follow lines of old dissent
as dingy sheets on mortuary slabs
are changed by tears to faded cerements.
Discussions follow lines of old dissent
on bitter grounds. They trace through the last swallow
that changes tears to faded sentiment.
The clink of spoons in coffee cups is hollow.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Funeral with Coffee
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3 comments:
my first thought was of prufrock of course and measuring life in coffee spoons...and then i caught wind of the form--this is a great pantoum! love the images and the metaphors--the cobweb and dimlit stairs then to dim eyed stares is particularly nice.
in fact, can i share it with my lit students next month?
I'm with AP! I'm a big fan of pantoums and this one is well done. I like the way "bitter grounds" relates to the coffee in the first stanza and changes to the location in the last stanza... as a matter of fact, the whole last stanza rocks. Bravo!
I like the "wax-worms burrowing through honeycombs" - the sound and rhythm are great.
Awesome poem, love the form, and your use of it.
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