The Direction of the Road
(for Steph)
we follow the road
not exactly knowing
where it leads us …
downwards
to black tunnels rolling into
the strata of the earths crust
upwards
to weaving black hawks
tearing up the blue sky
the wind tousling your
marram grass hair
now you are drumming
your bone fingers
on a red formica table
nervous energy
you say
as a thin clear light
dances through the café
we discuss a thing
called love & other
stuff
perhaps we are lost
in these deep sea-green
chambers
lost like poems
unable to rise
out of sleep
Joanne Fisher
This was first published in Takahe.
This poem first appeared on this blog in February 2018.
Please donate! 🙂
©2020 Joanne Fisher
joanne the geek 
” in these deep sea-green
chambers”
Allusion to T. S. Eliot?
LikeLiked by 1 person
“We have lingered in chambers of the sea…” That’s from memory. I hope I got it right.
I think I was alluding to it, but also the walls of the cafe were an odd green colour..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anyone who like T. S. Eliot is okay in my book…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I grew up with my dad reading Eliot’s work aloud all the time, so that stuff seeped into me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I say, I like this, you’ll understand I like it more than a ‘click’ like. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Yes I do 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like this poem very much, Joanna. It feels vaguely familiar so I may have read it previously, but it was certainly worth re-reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely, and now I’ve learned the name for beach grass. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you reposted it! I love the feeling of it: the diner feels like the 50’s, but the blackhawks make it feel modern. So good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fuck, just realized that “black hawks” probably meant birds instead of “blackhawks” the helicopter, so that last comment is basically garbage.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes they’re the birds. I don’t think we have the Blackhawks helicopters here. 🙂
LikeLike
I enjoyed the journey of this poem and the imagery. Although I do not know what it is, I could see
“the wind tousling your
marram grass hair”
LikeLiked by 1 person