by ~Gregg Rowe~
Today I toured Montréal --
In an open-aired window car ride:
Felt the winter wind snap her
Breath upon my cheeks and I smile --
After another day of employment,
Of walking hospital corridors:
Frank Sinatra blares
Through my portable car stereo
As I drive and feel my freedom!
I see RaRa:
A buddy for over twenty years
Where we used to meet on summer
Saturday afternoons, twenty
Anglophones amongst a Tavern full of
French fifis:
But now age has seperated us --
Homebodies and house wives now.
He is sauntering through the Gay Village
Heading towards Priape
Probably shopping for a Classical disc,
Or a porno film.
As I drive my black
Accent Hyundai --
He glances around St Catherine
As Frank’s version of New York
New York hits his auditoria
He zooms in on my car
Recognizes its driver --
Gives a thumbs up!
As I drive him by in my Abyss
Behind her wheel,
Four years of sobriety have
Finally paid off.
He tips his hand towards his mouth
“Heading to the water hole
to quench your thirst”
I shake my head and point to the car
“Not while I’m driving”
He throws me a kiss through the
Winter air and I toss one back in return --
I leave the Village to
Visit my mountain,
Watch the Montréal skyline
From on top of Mont Royal
I wave to my angel
As I drive by her --
Throw her a divine kiss,
And promise her I’ll see
Her on March twelfth:
Rain,
Shine,
Snow
Celebrate my sobriety
Celibacy
Close to half a centurion
Buy Beck beer
Perseverance
Power
Pain
TIME
To just tick-tock life
Away until tomorrow
Is a crime punishable
By sin of wasting life
I cry pain
Because otherwise
I will just be
A living corpse
I cry pain
For all those too shy
To cry pain
I cry pain
Because Pegasus is worse
Than chemo and
Chaos
Becomes a majority of people
Who cannot understand this pain
And it becomes
Patronizing
It’s week twelve
Did it work?
After failing Pegatron
Accepting Pegasus
Without taking a drug holiday
Am I eradicating HepC?
Is this temple responding to the plan?
Was the whole
Fucking heart operation
Procedure worth this
Diarrheic/Vomitic experience
We face the reality together
Knowing in three weeks
We will receive the results
Whatever they say one must be prepared
But we both know
After my appointment with her
As I leave we both
Rise from our bureaucratic chairs
She gingerly pats me on my shoulder
Her eyes sparkle with
Compassion and hope
Smiles an angelic message
And we both know
This crucial
TIME
Period
Failure of this treatment
Still buys me
TIME
And a winter summer slap
Kiss drive with a tour of Montréal.
Author notes
Written February 24th, 2006
In a list
A contest entry
- Tears Like Rain by Shadow Fairy of Twi.
300 points, ended March 23, 2006, 12 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Dark or Depressing by Poet-of-the-shadows.
375 points, ended December 10, 2006, 31 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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hmm. this was nice, but kind of went over my head. your emotion didn't seem to build up the way that i would've liked to see and the form lost me about halfway through. you did a nice job displaying your thoughts. keep writing!
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Dear Gregg,
I have not had the time lately to read my friend's poetry. Today I am taking a few hours to reconnect. This is an incredible piece. It pierces my heart with its raw truth and brutality.
You are the first writer I read here on AP because of your screen name. I was so impressed by your poetry that I joined this site. I have not regretted a moment spent on this site. This site has given me the opportunity of living through the poetry in my soul - and in the souls of the countless friends I've made here on AP.
I wait with you. And I pray for you my dear friend. Love and blessings - joanne -
I read the first few paragraphs and I thought: This sucks.
Then I read the entire poem and I thought: This is really good. -
It is really a great travel of your sentiments revealing not only the strength of a poet as you are but as well as it shows the strength of the humanbeing ..a sensitive humanbeing in you which can describe the relations in such a minute manners alongwith in the manner of the definations and emotions through and through.The flow of this work is very impressive and just to the point..I really appreciate this work.prabhudayal khattar
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Waiting
And I took the journey with you and felt the air upon our cheeks,our bodies hollow ,our legs week.Everything light and crisp but the body is weighed down.There is hope and there is joy and we take our treatment and suddenly life is very precious.Old friends mean so much and we observe the slightest movement and change in the earth,it is death and it is birth.And your strong spirit will see you through.Great write.Elizabeth. -
mm very good expressions here with in your words, get me reading right to the end.... wonderful poem...
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Time is the only thing we can not manipulate. Yes we can stay death, Yes we can control life, but no matter what time keeps marching onward, unfettered and unyielding. It takes memories and fades them, It takes now and trivializes them, it takes future and twists it.
Yet
Occaisionally there is someone who refuses to give in, who remembers the little things and embraces the now and hopes for the future.
Keep hoping...keep fighting...keep remembering and sharing what you know. -
This was incredible, truly it was. You made a good story out of such few words, and its something that showed more then one problem. I liked it, you could just feel the emotion in it. Great job. Keep on writing.
Blessed be,
LeFay -
Outstanding
Magnificent write,I journeyed with you in the rain ,felt the ambience of your friend blow a kiss in camarardie.Travelled with you through abstinence til a medicinal handshake of tenous hope.You have a talent indeed my poetic friend.If this is a personal write and not fictional you also have fortitude and my blessings,love and light,Yvette -
This is good.....Great!
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i cry pain - I love the story poems. nothing forced. so free. loved it.
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very good
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