All About Life Poem

Take a look at the below poem.  It was accepted by and published in Ibbetson Street’s June issue.  Ibbetson is the leading locally based poetry magazine (this is my fifth inclusion I think in this magazine, published by local poetry guru Doug Holder; if you like poetry you can connect at www.ibbetsonpress.com).

Here is an interesting factoid: Somerville appears to be the center of the local poetry scene; many of the folks involved in New England Poetry Club live in or near there, Ibettson is located there.  I need to find out the history of all that.

But meanwhile, hope you enjoy the below.  Share via above permalink if you like it.

All About Life

There is so much common wisdom about life and death,

sardonic asides, dark aphorisms.

Proof it is something on the mind.

Sometimes….

“All you need is your health.”

Life exists on the sharp edge of an infinitely sharp knife,

a balancing act that takes no prisoners.

Slip off and you are gone

step down too hard and you are cleft in twain.

“Life sucks and then you die.”

You are not issued a balancing beam

sweat obscures your view

the knife is curved and serrated

and someone has taken your shoes.

“Life is what happens while you’re making plans.”

My knife is whetted by blood, honed by fear,

rusted by tears,

angered by experience

informed by a desire to jump.

“Here today, gone tomorrow.”

I am dancing on the edge of my knife

as you on yours.

Stay sharp—

ah, a poor admonition…

“Live as if you expected to live an hundred years, but might die to-morrow.”—Ann Lee

My knife is whispering about tomorrow

but it is a tease.

It is beginning to wriggle beneath me.

It is causing other knives to kill the ones I love.

“We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.” –Voltaire

You!

I’m talking to you!

Keep your goddamned hands off

the handle of my knife….