Sunday, November 19, 2006

open letter to the muse

Dear alphabet. Dear spark.

My head is dull like a shell with the ocean in it. When you left me in the restaurant, I scoured the dictionary for days. Kissed men until my teeth hurt. Craved margaritas and the salt on the back of your neck. O my barbwire. My broken key. When you went south wearing my blackest dress, I looked in every hotel room from here to Knoxville. Cried in the shower. Found you puking in the backseat and mumbling about metaphor. On good days, you're a mad scientist. On bad, a vain girl with a scalpel. I put out a glass of wine to trap you. Line the drawers with sawdust. You hide my clothes and threaten to riot. Play gin rummy with the neighbors, throw record players out windows. On good days, I can get you to lie on the floor while I chant Light as a feather, stiff as a board.

Light as a feather, stiff as a board.

9 comments:

Juliet Blood Pudding said...

This is great (and yay, I have a Bloogger account now)!

Juliet Blood Pudding said...

Oops, I meant Blogger.

Relief Map said...

Kristy, if your muse doesn't have a come back for that one, then I think it's time to go shopping for a new muse.

Juliet Blood Pudding said...

I was thinking about this poem in bed last night! I especially love 'a vain girl with a scalpel' and the ending is just perfect!

kristy bowen said...

thanks all!!

Anonymous said...

I received a copy of The Fever Almanac today. I am entranced. Great post here, too. Words, drunken, lilting. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Kristy, I've purchased THE FEVER ALMANAC, and I've been drunk off your visceral, right-on-the-heart-agonizingly-beautiful word/image alchemy (old favorites and new). You are my favorite living poet and inspiration, ever since I read "Starve" and it became a constant tattoo in my head. Please keep up the gorgeous site and visionary work. Thank you, Toni.

kristy bowen said...

thanks again for all the kind words..

Martha said...

This poem has been one of my favorites ever since I read it!