Many thank for your kind comments.
Ryfkah,
"<< Don't kvetch. >>Great Yiddish word, kvetch"
I think it's a great word, too. There are quite a few other Yiddish words
I'm determined to include in future poems.
Gary,
Glad you liked it.
Mike,
Actually, I've made the last line stronger. On another list,someone asked
'would the narrator really say Please? and he wouldn't, would he? So I'm
afraid I end up with yet another sonnet with an expletive in the last line.
(I'm a bit worried about this trend) It becomes:
'First drop my f***ing stomach off in Hell.'
Asterisks will be dropped in the poem, of course.
Thanks again for reading and commenting
Kind regards,
     grasshopper

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Horwood" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 9:07 AM
Subject: Re: [THE-WORKS] New sub: Gut Reaction


Hello Grasshopper,
                  This seems to me to be very skilfully done. There´s
nothing that I would suggest changing here.
Best wishes,   Mike

--- Alkuperäinen viesti ---
                       Gut Reaction


Red in the bowl again, bright shocking spots,
beads strung with spittle, ruby mixed with jet.
Say it's tomato, peppers - there are lots
of explanations for those blobs. Don't sweat.
Just wipe your mouth and fill a steady glass.
The cold tap foams. The water chills your tongue
and shocks your teeth. Grip this new day. Hold fast.
Remember how you felt once, fit and young
before this aged you, greyed your face and bowed
you down, an acolyte of pain, to retch
and spew. For now, no grumbling is allowed.
Stiff upper lip. Don't wimp or whinge. Don't kvetch.
Wait till the angels lift you up, then yell
'Please drop my bloody stomach off in Hell.'

                                           grasshopper