Winging It In Eagle River

08/16/2012

what's a girl like you doing
at McDuffy's Hotel all
alone in Alaska, for
God's sake, asked
the plumber

I'm having
an adventure, said I, not
even sure that was
why, gazing out at the loneliness
of black crows against
the snow

this is no place for
weak and inquisitive
girls, barked the grizzled old
fart, snake in gnarled
hand, voice whiskey
and piss

what makes you
think I'm either, I sniffed,
righteously
miffed

well, I'm not
sure about the one, but you've
got that curiosity
in those
green, green
eyes, said he with
a wink

hmmph! I snorted, with
total disdain, I'm curious
about that little tinge
of misogyny in
your blue ones

shaking his head,
he deftly unplugged
the pipe, in a hurry
to get home and look that
one up
...and smoke it

--Jo VonBargen 2012

Comments

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:18pm

Oscar Sparrow has just posted a comment on your blog post, Winging It In Eagle River
:

Oh - I always rather fancied being a plumber. Look, you just do the novel in prose and you don't tell 'em its poetry. I know you would not be able to stop yourself so there you go dear readers - two for the price of one. Hard narrative, big image. For me Kerouac was a poet. There was a beat and there is a beat. I'm seeing some jazz tonight and I wish I could come back and translate instead of just nodd'n and humm'n in the con fusio

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:18pm

David L Atkinson has just posted a comment on your blog post, Winging It In Eagle River
:

Brilliant as usual Jo. So full of ire - fiesty!!!

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:19pm

Caleb Pirtle has just posted a comment on your blog post, Winging It In Eagle River
:

There's the opening for your novel. Why not write a novel in poetry form. Beautiful imagery. Great narration. Fascinating characters. Intriguing settings. Who says novels have to be written in prose? Invent a new kind of novel. The industry is changing. Make it different.

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:22pm

I dunno, Caleb. From This Far Time is an epic in poetry and it doesn't sell much. At this point I'm thinking a novel with even a hint of poetry would be the kiss of death. Folks shy away from that word like it's the plague. I'm sure it would sell in India, however! lol

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:20pm

Laura Zera has just posted a comment on your blog post, Winging It In Eagle River
:

Ha, love it! You tell him, Jo!

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:21pm

Thanks, Laura! I think you'd have pretty much the same reaction. I can just see it! lol

Jo VonBargen link

08/21/2012 4:25pm

Christina Carson has just posted a comment on your blog post, Winging It In Eagle River
:

Oh, met a lot of those. Loved that poem. It would be so much fun to sit in front of a fire some winter's day, a mug of coffee in hand, and share our northern tales.Characters are the far North's treasure.