Sunday, March 24, 2013

Ghost





You sidle up,
half see-through —
a sideways Father Christmas
who knows how good I’ve been,
the transparent constant,
who ruthlessly alphabetizes
the contents of my underdrawers.
You sequester a present for me,
wrapped safe in a tea cozy.
I run my finger over it, 
look for skull and crossbones,
then pop the cork and sip —
my lips stain with immediacy.
“It’s the gift of anticipation,” you whisper.

tk/March 2013

Thanks to the talented R.A.D. Stainforth for reading this poem. 

Not to be Reproduced, 1937 by René Magritte

41 comments:

  1. Ooh, the creeping forward just behind our backs! Nice one, Tess.

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  2. I could not reproduce this poetic sentiment.

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  3. Ooh, reads with a sort of eerie feel to it, like the Magritte. I love the last line!

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  4. I too love the last line ~ Somehow I am conjuring a more sultry image ~

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  5. Seductive! Such unique images... love alphabetizing underwear and sequester a present wrapped in tea.

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  6. Wonderful poem and reading. Love that concluding line!

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    1. Tess Kincaid's last lines are killers aren't they ...

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    2. Thank you...I often start with the last line...

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  7. I'm with Laurie..the underwear and the tea cozy......wow...x

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  8. The gift of anticipation - what a solid ending...

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  9. What a tease! *sigh* ah well nice line with immediacy and stain! thanks

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  10. well done...my more sinister mind conjures thoughts of addiction...transparent liquid in a bottle...

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    1. I enjoy the various levels my readers take...on Facebook this morning several took a political view...

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  11. Anticipation ... I love that word. Beautiful poetry, Tess.

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  12. Yes, a sinister feel along side some mysterious happenings. Needs to unravel the feel to understand it better. Nicely Tess!

    Hank

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  13. Mmmm, how you tantalize us with your pen.

    Was pleased to receive Unpressed yesterday.

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    1. Thank you so very much for your kind support, L...

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  14. It is indeed the time honoured way to alphabetise underdrawers, champagne, i mean !

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  15. You have warmed me up on this cold, snowy morning. Good gracious Tess, you have melted all the ice on our drive and cleared the now drifts from the sorry crocus bulbs!

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  16. Best not try to define such beauty. Standing ovation.

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  17. Always have to read through and listen a couple of times but always worth it - enjoyed it thanks

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  18. The gift of anticipation you give your readers is stopping by to read your poems!

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  19. Special and strange in the best possible way..wow!!

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  20. so moody and sinister...well done Tess!

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  21. My lips stain with immediacy - terrific!

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  22. I think it is sultry, also, which is not what I initially saw in the painting. Marvelous, Tess.

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  23. You capture the mystery and intrigue beautifully.

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  24. This was a hard prompt this week (oh ok only me?) you have handled it brilliantly as usual. Quite a seductive piece Tess - remarkable and not at all what I thought would be captured. Now on to read some more :-)

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  25. interesting interpretation. the poem itself feels so ghost-like. and great prompt.

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  26. A spooky gift of delicious prose you played well.

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  27. I loved the poem, and I enjoyed reading the comments, too.
    This was more sensual than sinister to me in the reading.

    But then, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir has always been one of my favorites movies.

    ;)

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  28. starting with the last line (per your comment above) - what a great idea, a sort of gift of anticipation the poet gives herself?

    love "my lips stain with immediacy"

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  29. Have you been watching "Marple"? I loved the sidling "Father Christmas" and the alphabetized under-drawers. This conjures so many things. Good work!

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  30. Thanks, to hear a voice, other than mine, is a gift.

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  31. This has rather a creepy edge to it, as I'm sure you intended. Mention of under drawers and sidling up to whisper, make me quite discomfited. What a result.

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  32. happy Easter old friend
    nice poem
    A

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  33. Hmmm... this has a seductive, surreptitious feel to it Tess, I like it! I, like many others that have read this, like the last 2 lines, beautifully written as always! I wish I could write with such creativity.

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  34. I really, really like this one! I can relate to looking for the skull and crossbones. We must stay on our toes.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)