Carmæn【POETRY】

Carmæn

The fickle feelings of falling far from
What we wonder to what we learn
Fortifies the fear in my faint heart
And produces palpable pleasure in the
Form of foreboding knowledge.


That stanza means nothing.

Yet, as I see it, as I read it,
I read nothing more than the everyday song.
And I see another money-wanting man
Walk along with his acoustic guitar down the streets
Of Nashville, Tennessee.

But whatever happened to war
Weaving its violence into our words?
The lyric, sitting smiling with his friends:
Drinks clanging to the victory, but later
His drink gurgling in despair
At the long lost Luger
of his brother across the light.

Whatever happened to philosophy
Finding purchase in song:
Powerful phrases and deep discussions,
Classes, even, dedicated to
Uprooting our thoughts?
Begging to us the question of
Questioning our every move?
"What does it mean?" I would cry
Toward my own acts,
Tears of joy flowing from the words
of a scholar and a thinker!
Not "What does it mean?" said desperately
To the same sad songs over lowercase love
And beer, and sex, and self-praise!

The lyric is layered one sheet deep.
Or none. Nothing worth fighting over,
Thinking over.
Not anymore.

Now all we have are poor poems
with just a ta-ta-tiki-ta-ta-tiki-ta-ta
tagging along, dragging along, with the words
Of someone who doesn't even know what they're singing.

Whatever happened to the fire, the
Flames of passion in our song?
Whatever happened to the desire to
Share in revelation?
To spread elevation amongst
Those who look up to us?
To heighten each other's lives
Rather than make meaningless sounds
Stride past our ears
On the way to school in the morning?

If ever I do the same,
Will you read me these words?
Will you read me this poem?