especially jet set carina and this post. I say you beat him to it:
FORTY SOMETHING
She says to him, musing, "If you ever leave me,
and marry a younger woman and have another baby,
I'll put a knife in your heart." They are in bed,
so she climbs onto his chest, and looks directly
down into his eyes. "You understand? Your heart."
--Robert Hass (yes, one of my fave poets, and the ex-poet-laureate of the usa)
p.s.: at valentine's day at vaca high (where i taught for 2 of my teaching years), i shared this with my students, along with some pablo neruda that was far too steamy for horny high schoolers. I thought they'd like the violent side of love with this one, but I think they just thought I was a bit scary. One of my bad judgment calls as a teacher.
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Um.
Yeah.
I think it's scary too.
Creeps me out.
I was in the poetry club in high school, but my tastes in poetry are like on the other side of the universe from yours.
this one is definitely not my favorite; but there is something wonderful about its to-the-pointness--kind of macabre and humorous at the same time. it's surprising . . . refreshing (not sappy, roses are red, rhyming--death to rhyming poems in general).
a wise older friend (t.c. of oh4 for all of you provonians) of mine told me at my wedding shower: "divorce never, murder maybe." i kind of like that philosophy. watch out, jonnie boy!
Who hasn't had that kind of conversation with their husband?
Mine usually go along the lines of "You realize you'd never be able to drink a drop or eat a bite safely in this house again?"
Good times.
i love that. i am going to tell that to christian next time we are in bed.
That poem is great! I've never been much into poetry (eeks, I can't believe I'm telling that to an English teacher!), in fact I never would have guessed that it could have been in the "poetry" category. That's new to me....but quite clever and amusing.
I was laughing so hard at your friends blog about spouse murder...too funny. I suppose it IS important to get that out in the open though. HA!
Thank you, thank you. I just think people should over communicate: it would solve a lot of marriage problems and it would make every sitcom obsolete.
so carina, has joe had the bobbitt talk with you?
we haven't had any murder talk but I have been VERY clear about remarriage if I die :) VERY clear.
No, he knows I prefer solutions that are less messy.
See, I've been very clear about remarriage as well. I want him to be remarried if I go. Kids need a mom type figure. Now, if she treats them badly, she'll be one haunted lady. Joe, however, does not want to be remarried, ever. He already went through the trouble once, so why bother again? I know, wierd! We've had that argument many a time.
carina, i'm with you. i've told jon that he has 3 years to remarry (much sooner than 2 and it might seem a little fishy...)---i want my girls to have a mother figure. i've also said that she BETTER be the 2nd coolest woman on the planet OR ELSE! maybe i should start making my list of eligible options (ala charity in crossing to safety, my fave book)....although i don't know anyone as cool as myself yet, so i don't think i'd have much of a list. :)
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