Sunday, January 05, 2020

and all i see are wet petals on asphalt

"And the days are not full enough
And the nights are not full enough
And life slips by like a field mouse
         Not shaking the grass"

-- Ezra Pound



Osaka, Japan, at night
photo by dsnake1



and all i see are wet petals on asphalt


the train doors close
like a breath exhaling

and i slip out of the station
to an empty street

a cold wind blowing
and a long way from home



01/01/2020
**********






* “Where are the people?” resumed the little prince at last. “It’s a little lonely in the desert…”
"It is lonely when you’re among people, too,” said the snake. *

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince


Shared on Writers' Pantry #1 at Poets and Storytellers United.





© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2020

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20 Comments:

Blogger Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Lovely quotes, and a perfect photo for this piece ... and above all the poem itself perfectly captures that bleak mood partly evoked by the weather and surroundings, and partly by being away from home. (I like the Poundian reference in the title too.)

06 January, 2020 10:23  
Blogger Sherry Blue Sky said...

I can almost feel that cold wind. Today on the bech it was sunny but there was a strong cold wind and the waves were big. It is always lovely to read you, Lee San.

06 January, 2020 11:34  
Blogger Magaly Guerrero said...

I can feel your poem as if I were there. It sparked memories of late nights after work, getting off the train, too tired to wait for a connecting bus, and just walking home.

And that exhale sound the doors make is such a perfect detail.

06 January, 2020 12:00  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

Rosemary,

yes, my poem sort of 'continues' from Pound's poem, and glad you saw the Poundian reference in the title. :)
i admit it is a bit bleak for a first post of the year, but that night in Osaka was really wet and cold. glad you like the picture too, there was a lot of neon and advertising there.


Sherry,

i would really like to visit Tofino.


Magaly,

Thank you.
i am glad the mood of the poem works. :)

06 January, 2020 16:55  
Blogger Ron. said...

I like it a lot, too, and -- unless I miss my guess -- Ezra would probably applaud as well.

06 January, 2020 20:28  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

😁

thank you, Ron!

06 January, 2020 22:45  
Blogger Unknown said...

Your quotes and the piece you wrote really work beautifully together. All the little details add to the feeling of isolation.

07 January, 2020 00:17  
Blogger Old Egg said...

How very atmospheric! I can remember from years ago that exact feeling leaving a railway station at dusk and not knowing which way to go.

07 January, 2020 07:05  
Blogger Sanaa Rizvi said...

This is incredibly evocative! I could feel every word!

07 January, 2020 07:32  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

Unknown,

thank you for your comment. 😊
perhaps you would like to share some of your works at 'Poets and Storytellers United'?


Robin,

😁
more so if you are in a foreign country.


Sanaa,

thank you! 😊

07 January, 2020 11:58  
Blogger hyperCRYPTICal said...

A truly evocative write - you took me there with you.
Lovely.
Anna :o]

08 January, 2020 02:53  
Blogger R's Rue said...

Tres belle.

08 January, 2020 04:00  
Anonymous H. Hennenburg said...

I love the poem and the quotes. There are layers and textures. The speaker is exhaled by the train and I wonder if the train itself is sighing the way it feels like the speaker must also be in the emptiness and cold, so far from home. And if the speaker is indeed sighing, I wonder what psychological passengers he is exhaling. You have well conveyed the heaviness of loneliness.

08 January, 2020 09:59  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

Anna,

thank you! :)


Regine,

thank you! :)


H,

i am glad the reader can feel the loneliness. :)

09 January, 2020 08:28  
Blogger ashok said...

Nicely written

08 February, 2020 19:42  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

thank you, Ashok!
glad to see you. :)

09 February, 2020 00:02  
Blogger A Cuban In London said...

Gorgeous piece. Thanks. :-)

13 February, 2020 05:48  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

Thank you, Cuban! :)

13 February, 2020 16:23  
Blogger magiceye said...

This is wonderful!

27 February, 2020 08:40  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

thank you, magiceye! :)

27 February, 2020 17:15  

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