View From My Window
Alpha/Beta
1. Alpha
The burnt out acrobat lands upright on the mat,
and he couldn't control his breathing.
His eyelids fluttered constantly, as if in a dream state,
and he dreams-he dreams of things
connected to him, he dreams of roses,
he dreams of life and death-there are no black roses.
It is a cesarean C section, the woman is pregnant-
her hair is gray, her mouth open
silently in a scream-even the painting, "The Scream," could
capture this woman's pain. She tried to
convince herself there was no pain,
her mouth working, in an "
O" of malformation, an
"O," of sayings, an "O," of nothing.
2. Beta
The diamond-shape of a teardrop shatters
to the floor. To whom did it belong?
To whom was its brother? Tossed in the lost and found,
it vanishes, and is brought back to life.
The hospital is all noise; there is a figure that
resembles Death as he goes from room to room,
his face grim as if he has seen a thousand
deaths-perhaps he is just a priest, going
on his daily rounds of grief. The nurse is convinced it is
Death, and flees, thinking she is next.
Only two people dies today, and the acrobat still dreams.
-(c) 2000, written: 11th grade
The burnt out acrobat lands upright on the mat,
and he couldn't control his breathing.
His eyelids fluttered constantly, as if in a dream state,
and he dreams-he dreams of things
connected to him, he dreams of roses,
he dreams of life and death-there are no black roses.
It is a cesarean C section, the woman is pregnant-
her hair is gray, her mouth open
silently in a scream-even the painting, "The Scream," could
capture this woman's pain. She tried to
convince herself there was no pain,
her mouth working, in an "
O" of malformation, an
"O," of sayings, an "O," of nothing.
2. Beta
The diamond-shape of a teardrop shatters
to the floor. To whom did it belong?
To whom was its brother? Tossed in the lost and found,
it vanishes, and is brought back to life.
The hospital is all noise; there is a figure that
resembles Death as he goes from room to room,
his face grim as if he has seen a thousand
deaths-perhaps he is just a priest, going
on his daily rounds of grief. The nurse is convinced it is
Death, and flees, thinking she is next.
Only two people dies today, and the acrobat still dreams.
-(c) 2000, written: 11th grade
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Alpha/Beta
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