parentheticals

(a glosa)

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;
– E. E. Cummings 

::

we’ve developed a thirst 
for the ways the world 
bends, the trends that 
make and break us, the 
runways and the head
-lines and the lack of spines
when looks replace books
and nobody spares a dime
and time ticks us off. 
since feeling is first,  

we forget kisses, wisdom,
humanity could heal itself 
if we all just pause and 
listen to this same breeze,
ask the trees what they might 
know, blow a fluttered moon 
back into this vast sky and 
try our hands at hope. even the 
flowers are swearing songs, but 
who pays any attention? 

and have we mentioned salt?
it’s not the ocean’s fault 
we wave our hands and 
take our stands and miss 
the ebb and flow of flotsam 
faith. there’s all this soap(box) 
foam and no way home because
even that wily moon shows 
her silent, darkest side 
to the syntax of things. 

we miss the buzz and zip 
and zing of every leaning,
laughing thing when we 
rush and crush each other
with our winter smiles.
we wander miles in too
-tight shoes. until we 
pause to embrace the blues, 
this life, this spring, this thing
will never wholly kiss you. 

::

An attempt at a the glosa form, for day 3 of NaPoWriMo. You can read Cummings’ full poem here.

Day Three

Advertisement