What does this mean?
I do not mean to say these things.
I do not say these things.
They look at me and try to spoon the answer
out from under my eyelids,
from the gums of my teeth -
finding the kind of red
which does not describe
the curtain, or the bedspread.
A shade, not explained
through poetic calculation.
This logic resists
the logic of falling things.
It climbs into the hidden
orifices of my face,
pressing into darknesses
not found until
their gaze has been shut out.
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this poem is wonderfully layered. i read it from two perspectives: (and correct me if i'm wrong)one where "they" refers to the "things [you] do not say", and the other where "they" refers to the people who ask "what does this mean?"
i hate to say this now, but i am a little unsure about the pronouns. do the things find the color red? does their gaze stop you from finding the dark? how do you feel about the use of "you", instead? i.e."you look at me" i think that would play up the defense given in the final stanza: "THIS logic resists"
this poem is beautiful, btw. i love that poetic calculation is described apart from the "logic" of poetry. how the color is found inside the body is also striking: it's red, but the precise shade has not been invented yet.
i have a question about the use of "orifices"-- the latter imply openings or holes...so i get the image of things hiding up your nose (then again, i am 12). perhaps "hollows?" although, i did like the slant rhyme b/w "orifices" and "darknesses"
i used to not like the use of "spoon" as a verb in the second stanza, but then i realized that it's a great (and sort of biologically graphic) word to have there. it's really wrenching to think of physically trolling for something under an eyelid. another word that might be good is "scrape"-- the long vowels in both sort of mock the physical act of spooning something up or scraping it off; a long movement.
anyway, this is a very rambling response. i really want to talk to you about this poem and see what you're thinking.
see you in hell.
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