Thanksgiving
Do others know about that great hunger that sometimes
stems from lack of nourishment, but also emanates
from a deeper longer lack that feels like abandonment?
Even the gods grieve, though it is their fault, languishing,
no longer boastful, nameless, aghast that when beneath
the starry vault of heaven, the longed-for feast commences,
They won’t know where to sit. After they flooded the earth
and its crass, noisy, annoying inhabitants who
interrupted their sleep, they were deluded
into thinking (don’t blame me!) that the chants and slaughtered
animals might not disappear.`(What were they thinking?
No one even left to sing their names.) So when at last
the waters receded, taking far longer than expected,
swirling into drains below and above according
to Coriolis’ rule--the only law still in effect--
and the great restraining walls were reinstalled,
the gods were ravenous, desperate beyond hierarchy,
when Utnapishtim dismantled his boat, stacked
the boards and bound one of his precious saved creatures
to the flames. The gods went wild, smashing into each other
in fury to get at the rising scent, some even forgoing
that prized essence for the grosser trimmings.
Buzzing and swarming like flies above just-heaped
Garbage, steaming in the cold damp morning air.
Do others know about that great hunger that sometimes
stems from lack of nourishment, but also emanates
from a deeper longer lack that feels like abandonment?
Even the gods grieve, though it is their fault, languishing,
no longer boastful, nameless, aghast that when beneath
the starry vault of heaven, the longed-for feast commences,
They won’t know where to sit. After they flooded the earth
and its crass, noisy, annoying inhabitants who
interrupted their sleep, they were deluded
into thinking (don’t blame me!) that the chants and slaughtered
animals might not disappear.`(What were they thinking?
No one even left to sing their names.) So when at last
the waters receded, taking far longer than expected,
swirling into drains below and above according
to Coriolis’ rule--the only law still in effect--
and the great restraining walls were reinstalled,
the gods were ravenous, desperate beyond hierarchy,
when Utnapishtim dismantled his boat, stacked
the boards and bound one of his precious saved creatures
to the flames. The gods went wild, smashing into each other
in fury to get at the rising scent, some even forgoing
that prized essence for the grosser trimmings.
Buzzing and swarming like flies above just-heaped
Garbage, steaming in the cold damp morning air.
Apologies for the terrible formatting. This should be a poem in tercets!
Posted by: Leonard Kress | November 27, 2009 at 07:53 PM
Hi, Leonard, I was checking the link for Phil Boiarski's blog and the link called up an error message that said it was broken.
Posted by: john guzlowski | February 26, 2010 at 09:24 PM