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(un)Sunday’s (un)poem post


The poem below is about an (un) family–one that appears to be something that it’s not–a family where things seem to be order–but are, in fact, far, far from ordinary.  It’s about family dysfuntion on a massively deceptive scale. 

We wear nice clothes.  We drive nice cars.  We go to church, to school.

But–we are, in fact, none of those things. 

We are the inversion of family.

(un)poem

everything begins and ends
     with appetite
                                the edge
 
of the photograph
     where the girl’s
     arm ends
                                and the tablecloth
 
begins again its
     grammar of red
                and white
                                diagramming
 
father / mother
     sister
     sister
                                plates
 
in their places
     knives to the right
     spoons
     roast chicken
                                relics of
 
10,000 family dinners
                                that swim
 
     white cat
     cadmium yellow
 
to the windowsill
     on the east side
               of the house
                                where we
 
have set blue mason jars
     absorbing particles
                of spring
                                the early
     face of april growing
                in the yard
 
seeming untime
                unspace
 
work room
wood floor
 
tangle of limbs
     jungled
     wet
 
always never
     arriving
 
 

18 thoughts on “(un)Sunday’s (un)poem post”

  5. powerful piece, Kathy…
    Have you heard of the broadway show, Next to Normal? It’s a powerful show–it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010…
    why do I bring it up? well…it’s all about a family–your piece reminded me of it…

    I think you’d love it–
    blessings
    jane

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    • Gosh, Lisa, I know what you mean! Not about my head hurting, but not having anything particularly insightful to say. It’s terrible if you feel like you HAVE to comment. Thanks, for reading, my friend–and comment when your head feels up to it!

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    • Thanks so much for reading my poem and taking the time to leave a comment. It’s fun to have a new reader, especially when that reader is a fellow poet. Hope you’ll come back soon. Can’t wait to check out your blog.

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