Interesting Bill, but I'm not sure the large simile opening is necessary. Could begin at stanza 3 I think, & with a bit of judicious cutting ('asking any question' ?), it cuts straight to the situation...
Doug
On Jan 28, 2014, at 11:43 PM, Bill Wootton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Whoops, previous posting was rejected it seems when I tried sending it while away from home. Anyway, I've slightly revamped it.
>
> Bill
>
> Depression Crossing 2
>
> no zebra this crossing
> no regular steps
> far more blacks
> than whites
> meek muskrat crossing
> with irascible lioness
>
> this cross to bear
> daring to disagree
> on the eggshelled procedural path
> never quite knowing
> when conversational foot
> will crunch
>
> dread risks involved
> in even crossing a room
> cutlery clanking on plates
> echoing internal brittleness
>
> venturing verbal gambits
> the asking of any question
> requiring a response -
> and isn't that all of them -
> hair trigger fraught
>
> seeking to align a mood
> to reach a sharing
> putting natural mood on hold
> crossness to be steered around
>
> then
> the lifting
> or rather the letting down
> of the communication drawbridge
> when did this happen
> become possible
> has it been available and undetected
> must have been my fault
> I the cause
> of this this exasperation
> this deep and until just now
> unshiftable sense of desperation
> this mood mire
> listen now words pass
> unloadedly
> for a while
>
> where's the we I thought we had
> either side of the bridge we are
> are we crossing together at all
> or only meeting in the middle
> from time to time
> and withdrawing
> to our sides
>
> bw
> 29.1.14
Douglas Barbour
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