The Colonel Analysis

The Country Between Us1978What you have heard is true. I was in his house.His wife carried a tray of coffee and sugar. Hisdaughter filed her nails, his son went out for thenight. There were daily papers, pet dogs, a pistolon the cushion beside him. The moon swung bare onits black cord over the house. On the televisionwas a cop show. It was in English. Broken bottleswere embedded in the walls around the house toscoop the kneecaps from a man's legs or cut hishands to lace. On the windows there were gratingslike those in liquor stores. We had dinner, rack oflamb, good wine, a gold bell was on the table forcalling the maid. The maid brought green mangoes,salt, a type of bread. I was asked how I enjoyedthe country. There was a brief commercial inSpanish. His wife took everything away. There wassome talk of how difficult it had become to govern.The parrot said hello on the terrace. The coloneltold it to shut up, and pushed himself from thetable. My friend said to me with his eyes: saynothing. The colonel returned with a sack used tobring groceries home. He spilled many human ears onthe table. They were like dried peach halves. Thereis no other way to say this. He took one of them inhis hands, shook it in our faces, dropped it into awater glass. It came alive there. I am tired offooling around he said. As for the rights of anyone,tell your people they can go f--- themselves. Heswept the ears to the floor with his arm and heldthe last of his wine in the air. Something for yourpoetry, no? he said. Some of the ears on the floorcaught this scrap of his voice. Some of the ears onthe floor were pressed to the ground.May 1978

.: :.

Childish English sentences which distract us from whatever she is trying to communicate. Until, that is, until the vulgarity arrives. The poem is worthy of Howard Stern, and no more.

| Posted on 2009-03-14 | by a guest

.: anayisis :.

This poem is brutal and beautiful it is hard on the eyes and ears "something for your poetry, no?" irony at it's best...

| Posted on 2008-06-04 | by a guest