what if we
what if we grappled with
our respective angels
each one a lonesome one
until the dusty dawn
what if mine bruised me
blessed me helped me recall
with a touch touch here
and a touch touch there
here a there there a there
everywhere a there there
I love that idea, that flip on the old saying "grapling with demons" : "grapled with our respective angels" You're turning the cliche on its head in an interesting and profound way.
ReplyDeleteAmber,
DeleteThank you for your kind and insightful comment. I was also alluding to the story of Jacob wrestling with the Angel (holding on until he was blessed) - and being injured in the process.
One of the tensions in the poem is whether it is an open or closed "we" (or both).
Open: is the speaker addressing the entire community as "we" - such that each reader can imagine their own wrestling angel/demon?
Closed: Or, is the speaker one member of a couple addressing his/her lover, so that each is the other one's angel? So that "what if mine..." (which is a distancing move rhetorically) actually means "what if you..." - which then opens out onto these questions: Did I not bruise? Did I not bless? How effective of an angel was I?
Peace,
B.R.
Before I saw your above comment, I thought of the story of Jacob wrestling with the Angel. You have a definite gift with words.
ReplyDeleteHey Molly Jo,
DeleteThanks for reading, and for your generous comment.
Peace,
B.R.