J. Tarwood: Pick of the Week [ed. Terence Winch]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Pause in Our Divorce

 

Tomorrow, we start again,

those leaflets on the blood of the lamb

swirling about my blockade of shot glasses.

Like a coffin with its lid kicked open,

our trailer will shake

when I blast out the door,

stuffed tigers tumbling from crooked shelves

to claw the carpet bought at Goodwill.

Apple tea in hand,

you will watch me tramp that gravel path

smeared with snow, my breath

a fist trembling open

once my back’s to you. But tonight

is a butterfly on our bayonet,

you in the rocker, wet black hair hanging

like a nun’s habit; and me wedged

in the easy chair, a whiskey-stained Othello

in my lap. We wonder how we’ll end,

like those enemy soldiers in World War I

who played football in no man’s land before Verdun.

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J. Tarwood has been a dishwasher, a community organizer, a medical archivist, a documentary film producer, an oral historian, and a teacher. After a life spent in East Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, he currently lives in China, and has published six books: The Cats in Zanzibar, Grand Detour, And for the Mouth a Flower, What the Waking See, The Sublime Way, and The World at Hand. 

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                                                                  A re-enactment of the 1914 Christmas Truce

Comments

[Grace Cavalieri]

A butterfly on the bayonet is too brilliant for words.

[Jack Skelley]

Arresting imagery !! thanks !!

[Don Berger]

A brilliant poem on a subject usually inviting formula, cliche, facile sentimentality. This poem is remarkably free of all that, miraculously. I’m happy you’ve found and have shown this poem Terence, and J Tarwood you’ve treated us to high art!

[Terence Winch]

Don: Thanks for the comment.

[Bill Nevins]

Yeah been there done that but never wrote about it so brilliantly. Bravo! Hope China is treating you well

[Clarinda]

J. You’ve done it again— taken my breath away. I find it extremely apt that Terence Winch selected a poem of yours; you two are THE most original boxes in poetry today. Note to all: brickhousebooks Inc has published several of J.Tarwood's collections; a new one is at press right now.

[Clarinda]

J Tarwood and Terence Winch are the two most original voices in poetry today. Period. Btw—J. Tarwood’s latest is coming out from BrickHouse Books inc very soon!

[Terence Winch]

Thanks, Clarinda.

[Peter Kearney]

That football game before Verdun--how great it was ever done.
The divorce really had a truce--overnight, like a dream of her trousseau?
Can there be such a pause in divorce? Of course.