# days

English230 lines1 public analyses
Original Poetry
Translation
# days
one
one
two
two
three
three
four
four
freckles on your left collarbone
freckles on your left clavicle
connect the dots
connect the dots
with my middle finger
with my middle finger
trace to your center line
trace to your midline
eyes look north
eyes north
one shoulder uncovered
one shoulder off the sheet
catch my hand
catch my hand
breathe out
exhale
---
---
both shoes on
both shoes on
sitting on the edge of the bed
on the edge of the bed
for two minutes
for two minutes
in two different shades of blue
in two different blues
tell me I'll miss you
tell me I'll miss you
cover the guitar strings
cover the longbows
with fret wire
in fret wire
turn the rotten fruit fresh
turn the fruit from rotten
leave your earrings behind
leave your earrings behind
not to see me again
not to see me again
you just forget
you just forget
---
---
three miles from the blue ridge parkway
three miles off the blue ridge parkway
ninety-three million miles to the sun
ninety-three million to the sun
disc to point to gone
disc to point to gone
turn
turn
your cheeks are no longer red
your cheeks no longer red
drop my hand
drop my hand
left my coat in the car
left my coat in the car
---
---
you bend down
you bend at your waist
pick a four-leaf clover
pick a four-leaf clover
: my dad said I was lucky :
: my dad said I was lucky :
only after dark
only after dark
after the miracle
after milagro
your hands on my chest
your palms against my chest
pull when I pull back
pull when I recoil
enough night lights for a shadow
enough night lights for a shadow
sticker on the mirror
sticker on the mirror
ripped away to paper
ripped away to paper
I pack starbursts
I pack starbursts
cherry and lemon —
cherry and lemon
a turtle
a turtle
from the coloring book
from the coloring book
all in a lump
all in a lump
under your pillow
under your pillow
it's enough
it's enough
to take your keys back
to take your keys back
---
---
ART
ART
that night again
that night again
not that night
not that night
keep my head still
keep my head still
watch the LEDs bounce
watch the LEDs bounce
splice the tape
splice the tape
actors jump the film
actors jump the celluloid
abrade the faces
abrade the faces
choke on the chalkdust
choke on the chalkdust
your outline still on the board
your outline still on the board
a brush sits in the can
a brush steeps in the can
fat strokes drop pepper on the shoes you bought me
fat strokes drop pepper on the sambas you bought me
another coat
another coat
three
three
: you have to forgive yourself :
: you have to forgive yourself :
I can't deliver at five months
I can't deliver at five months
---
---
Lucy
Lucy
you step behind the wall
you step behind the wall
dosimeter pinned to your breast pocket
dosimeter pinned to your breast pocket
exposing me
exposing me
where did you go
where did you go
I turn the dial clockwise
I spin the dial clockwise
six different voices in a second
six different voices in a second
static mixed
static interleaved
like a child's fingers crossed in prayer
like a child's fingers crossed in prayer
we lay on the fake grass
we lay on the artificial turf
making grass angels
making grass angels
until the rotation
until the rotation
blocks the sun
blocks the sun
with a tether ball pole
with a tether ball pole
pull the aloe from under the sink
pull the aloe from under the sink
freeze your hands
freeze your palms
warm them an inch from my skin
thaw them an inch from my skin
cover me
slather me
---
---
existing on my manifold
existing on my manifold
the smallest length of my skin
the Planck length of my skin
the air compressing between a picked string and my ear
the air compressing between a picked string and my ear
a nerve from fingertip to brain
a nerve from fingertip to cortex
the moment language becomes dream
the moment language becomes dream
the pink back of my eyelids in the dawn
the pink back of my eyelids in the dawn
you are my border
you are my border
my limit
my limit
---
---
leaving the angel in the valley
leaving the angel in the valley
I walked the mountaintop
I trod the mountaintop
laughter following in silence
laughter following in silence
the ties heavy across one shoulder
the ligatures heavy across one shoulder
I lay my creation on the broad stone
I lay my creation on the broad stone
bind him
bind him
by my will
by my will
to my will
to my will
his pleas bounce off my ears
his pleas skid off my drums
the sun in a drop of sweat
the sun in a drop of sweat
trickling down my raised blade
trickling down my raised blade
slick thud of steel between ribs
slick thud of steel between ribs
ink floods the altar
ink floods the altar
pours over the gutters and stains the dust
pours over the gutters and stains the dust
mingling with puddled vomit
mingling with puddled vomit
I wrap the heart in oiled leather
I wrap the heart in oiled leather
---
---
Will
Will
the ground holds the rain
the ground holds the rain
what falls
what falls
the sea pulls back to itself
the sea pulls back to itself
drawing mountain streams
drawing mountain streams
comets leave no craters in oceans
comets leave no craters in oceans
salt drains from the boy
salt drains from the boy
the tide pools in his lungs
the tide pools in his lungs
---
---
single file
single file
to the grasshopper's body
to the grasshopper's carcass
lift the glass
lift the glass
the sun in a point
the sun in a point
wisps of shell
wisps of chitin
of skin
of skin
God
God
damn it
damn it
---
---
clothes of seven colors
raiments of seven colors
for the emperor's illusion
for the emperor's delusion
judge —
arbiter
instrument of money and queen
instrument of coin and queen
equal to none
equal to none
opposite to all
opposite to all
---
---
not my north
not my north
nor my home
nor my home
but the fold in the map
but the fold in the map
not candle
not candle
but rust
but rust
or moon
or moon
but preserved tread
but preserved tread
not country or soil
not country or soil
but scraping from under fingernails
but scraping from under fingernails
not vapor melting glue
not vapor melting glue
not envelope or letter
not envelope or epistle
but teakettle whistle
but teakettle whistle
---
---
walking from Alexandria
pacing from Alexandria
the rocks pierce my sole
the rocks pierce my sole
through a worn leather sandal
through a worn leather sandal
the solstice in Syene
the solstice in Syene
I shiver
I shiver
in the black water
in the black water
your noon light
your noon light
fills my well
fills my well
burns my face
burns my face
---
---
cut the black ring from my ankle
snipped the black ring from my ankle
I called you
I called you
kneeling in the walk-in closet
kneeling in the walk-in closet
t-shirts on old drycleaning hangers brushing against my back
t-shirts on old drycleaning hangers brushing against my back
head knocking into the corner
head knocking into the corner
you printed my prayers on thermal receipt paper
you printed my prayers on thermal receipt paper
shoved them in a drawer behind an empty film canister
shoved them in a drawer behind an empty film canister
held the bottle upside down
held the bottle upside down
smashed it on the corner of the fake granite hotel desk
smashed it on the corner of the fake granite hotel desk
the neck tearing jagged red lines in the sheets
the neck tearing jagged red lines in the sheets
don't worry about the deposit
don't worry about the deposit
you didn't pay it
you didn't pay it
---
---
wipe the dew off the seat
wipe the dew off the seat
pink east shifting clouds black to white
pink east shifting clouds black to white
squint before I pull the shades from the fanny pack
squint before I pull the shades from the fanny pack
downshift before the motor turns
downshift before the motor turns
lock up at the Y
lock up at the Y
hop on
hop on
pump
pump
legs spent
legs spent
haven't moved an inch
haven't moved an inch
---
---
I thought
I thought
dreaming you
dreaming you
to open my eyes
to open my eyes
and did so
and did so
sighing
sighing
in blind light
in blind light
and turned
and turned
kissing
kissing
your closed eyes
your closed eyes
---
---
pop your eyelashes
pop your eyelashes
one nipple a sunrise above the comforter
one nipple a sunrise above the comforter
your Kali hands tracers of figure eights
your Kali hands tracers of figure eights
: will you do me a favor?
: will you do me a favor?
pack me one more parachute :
pack me one more parachute :
I won't let you fall
I won't let you fall
---
---
: go play in the lightning a little longer :
: go play in the lightning a little longer :
never let me win king of the mountain
never let me win king of the mountain
skin red clay
skin red clay
grains of sand cling to my scalp for a week
grains of sand cling to my scalp for a week
read me to sleep with tracts that look like twenties from a distance
read me to sleep with tracts that look like twenties from a distance
yawning
yawning
I'm Peter
I'm Peter
flying before hills of burnt gold
flying before hills of burnt gold
thirsty
thirsty
I creep to the green plastic cup beside the sink
I creep to the green plastic cup beside the sink
swallow three dead flies in the bottom before I realize
swallow three dead flies in the bottom before I realize
wake me up before sunrise
wake me up before sunrise
: the time changed :
: the time changed :
---
---
Puppets
Puppets
out of the pool
out of the pool
showering in bathing suits
showering in bathing suits
water flooding the weeds between the stone tiles
water flooding the weeds between the stone tiles
pinky up
pinky up
orthogonal to the rest
orthogonal to the rest
my dog tries to bite the quarter off the ground
my dog tries to bite the quarter off the ground
it slips between shadow teeth
it slips between shadow teeth
twisting over me
twisting over me
thumbs interlocked
thumbs interlocked
your bird flapping against the pup's wet nose
your bird flapping against the pup's wet nose
I sneeze
I sneeze
autocorrect tried to change shadow to affair
autocorrect tried to change shadow to affair
 

Explanation

This poem, titled 'days', is a rich tapestry of imagery and emotion, weaving together moments of intimacy, reflection, and existential musings. The poem is structured in a free verse format, allowing the poet to explore themes without the constraints of rhyme or meter. The opening section uses the metaphor of connecting freckles to explore physical intimacy and connection. As the poem progresses, it delves into themes of memory and loss, with references to leaving behind earrings and forgetting, suggesting a transient relationship. The imagery of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the sun's distance evokes a sense of vastness and separation. The poem also touches on themes of luck and fate, with the mention of a four-leaf clover and a father's words. The section titled 'ART' reflects on creativity and self-forgiveness, while 'Lucy' introduces a personal narrative of exposure and vulnerability. The poem's language is rich with sensory details, such as the feel of aloe on skin and the sound of a teakettle whistle, grounding abstract emotions in tangible experiences. The poem concludes with reflections on identity and existence, using metaphors of borders and limits to express the complexity of self and relationships. Overall, 'days' is a poignant exploration of human connection, memory, and the passage of time.

Word Dictionary23

WordIn EnglishPlain (English)Pron.
claviclecollarbonethe bone connecting the shoulder to the breastboneklav-i-kuhl
frecklessmall brown spotssmall brownish spots on the skin, often from sun exposurefrek-uhls
midlinecenter linethe imaginary line dividing the body into equal right and left halvesmid-lahyn
fretridge on guitara raised element on the neck of a stringed instrument that helps in changing pitchfret
milagromiraclea Spanish word meaning 'miracle', often used in religious or cultural contextsmee-lah-groh
splicejoin togetherto join or connect by interweaving strandssplahys
celluloidfilm materiala type of plastic used to make film for moviessel-yuh-loid
abradewear awayto scrape or wear away by frictionuh-breyd
dosimeterradiation measuring devicea device used to measure an absorbed dose of ionizing radiationdoh-sim-i-ter
manifoldmany or variedhaving many different forms or elementsman-i-fohld
Planck lengthsmallest lengththe smallest measurable length in physics, named after Max Planckplangk length
ligaturesties or bindingssomething used to bind or tielig-uh-choors
trodwalkedpast tense of 'tread', meaning to walk or steptrod
solsticelongest or shortest dayeither of the two times in the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equatorsol-stis
teakettlekettle for boiling watera kettle used for boiling water, often with a whistletee-ket-l
epistlelettera letter or written communication, often formalih-pis-uhl
raimentsclothingclothing, especially fine or decorative garmentsrey-muhnts
arbiterjudgea person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matterahr-bi-ter
orthogonalright anglerelating to or involving right angles; perpendicularawr-thog-uh-nl
chitinhard substancea tough, protective polysaccharide forming the exoskeleton of arthropodskahy-tin
cometsicy celestial bodiescelestial objects consisting of a nucleus of ice and dustkom-its
tethertie or fastena rope or chain used to tie an animal to a postteth-er
autocorrectautomatic correctiona software feature that automatically corrects spelling errorsaw-toh-kuh-rekt

Poet & Context

Poet
EraModern

The poet of this piece is unknown, and it appears to be a contemporary work. The poem's style and themes suggest it belongs to the modern era of poetry, characterized by free verse and personal, introspective themes.


WhenContemporary
WhyThe poem seems to explore themes of love, memory, and personal reflection. It uses vivid imagery and fragmented narrative to convey emotions and moments in time.
FormFree verse

Themes & More

intimacymemorylossidentityexistence
Metaphor: freckles as a constellation to connectImagery: vivid descriptions of physical sensations and environmentsSymbolism: four-leaf clover as a symbol of luckPersonification: comets leaving no craters in oceansAlliteration: 'freckles on your left clavicle'Juxtaposition: contrasting elements like 'not candle but rust'
# days by Unknown poet — Poem, Translation & Meaning