The Catepillar by unknown
-234 bank accounts
plates filled with half smoked cigarettes
the conversations still as unfinished
the shimmering disco globes mimic the single glass slipper
one shoe changed her lifetime
as pumpkins make their bedtime
the men in green ask “who are you?”
who am i?
i am the small creeks with boats bugs skidding the water
i am the dusty nooks in forgotten hallways
i am the beggar holding signs more weathered than their faces
i am the shuddering blades of grass in the early april mornings
most of my life has been told
what to say, believe, feel, and just be
i attempt to create my own definition
what if i am everything at once, and nothing altogether
what is the first thing i remember, when i’ve forgotten all else
the tiles of the mall chuckle at my second hand shoes
and men wave samples in my face
this is not me
you could find me in frosted orchards
and diagonal lines of dusty light through barred windows
you could find me in filing cabinets with no names recorded
i am the lipstick stained water glass that must be hand cleaned
perhaps i leave these traces as means to show
a small reminder of my existence
who are you
and who are you to ask such a question that would take millions
millions of cups of coffee and minutes
to even convey the corridors and winding gardens
and damp spaces under rocks
the hidden echoes of sliding carpets
who am i?
ask me who i am not, if you are in a hurry for lunch
all else i will show you in the misted star skies and glittering rain pails
you will see.
I really love the first section of this poem from the Hudson Valley Missed Connections, especially the “one shoe changed her lifetime” line. However, it was the drawing that initially caught my attention. The details, swirls, and hidden images are intriguing and mysterious.
