The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Tue 8/22/06)

[RetroLounge]

Heat

My mare, when she was in heat,
would travel the fenceline for hours,
wearing the impatience
in her feet into the ground.

Not a stallion for miles, I’d assure her,
give it up.

She’d widen her nostrils,
sieve the wind for news, be moving again,
her underbelly darkening with sweat,
then stop at the gate a moment, wait
to see what I might do.
Oh, I knew
how it was for her, easily
recognized myself in that wide lust:
came to stand in the pasture
just to see it played.
Offered a hand, a bucket of grain—
a minute’s distraction from passion
the most I gave.

Then she’d return to what burned her:
the fence, the fence,
so hoping I might see, might let her free.
I’d envy her then,
to be so restlessly sure
of heat, and need, and what it takes
to feed the wanting that we are—

only a gap to open
the width of a mare,
the rest would take care of itself.
Surely, surely I knew that,
who had the power of bucket
and bridle—
she would beseech me, sidle up,
be gone, as life is short.
But desire, desire is long.

Jane Hirshfield

*******************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[Callalily]

1. Whew! Very erotic . . .

at least that's the way I perceive this poem. Yes, I think we've all been there, been in heat been in lust and no one around to travel the fencelines.

[speedoo]

3. Definitely erotic.

And openly so, IMO.

Love the last lines.....

"as life is short.
But desire, desire is long."

So very true, unfortunately.

[miss_american_pie]

2. ...

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

5. ...

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Good morning, my dear RetroLounge..........

Wow, this is one super-erotic poem......

I too love the last lines.........

be gone, as life is short.
But desire, desire is long.

How they speak to me!

I don't think there's an adult on the planet who hasn't felt the truth of them.........

Thank you........

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

6. ...

:hug:

RL