Sunday, February 28, 2016

Stefanie Bennett- A Poem


Stefanie Bennett has published several books of poetry, a novel and a libretto and her poems appear in Illya’s Honey, The Camel Saloon, Snow monkey, Shot Glass Journal, The Provo Canyon Review and others. Of mixed heritage [Irish/Italian/Paugussett-Shawnee] she was born in Qld., Australia in 1945. Stefanie’s latest poetry title “The Vanishing” 2015 was published by Walleah Press and is available from Walleah, Amazon and Fishpond Books.
 
 
 
BECOMING VINCENT    
 
I am becoming Vincent... I am
Only midway through
My writing season –, and
Already I address myself
To the nom de plume.
 
It seems strange.
It is strange.
Half alive, half dead.
Half word-impressionist
And half anyone’s slave.
 
Since I am half Vincent
  And he is half me –, he
Won’t mind if I speak of stars
  And sunflowers –, and
Bare-boarded rooms.
  I know he won’t mind...
He was someone with little
  To say... there was too much
Of the poet in him. He tried
  To ‘paint it out’.
 
I wrestle with the images. The gold
That polishes the sun. The gold
That belongs to a banished
Love. The gold belonging
To a lock of hair...
 
I tell you, he would have been
  A word giant! My God,
The co-ordinated language colour!
  The world missed out: badly.
As it was, it killed him with love.
  It killed him with hate.
He wasn’t  perfect enough
  Then. I can’t be
Perfect enough
  ... Now.
 
I wrestle with the word image.
The gold that engulfs
The treasure of our
                Shared despair:
The gold of too much caring:
                An empty
Coffer. An empty chair.
 
I am becoming Vincent... I live
In a bare-boarded room.
My brother sends me
                      Sunflowers!
The heavens send
                       More stars!
There’s no-one to talk to...
 
I make gestures. I cast out
Lines to
The Centaur’s light
And the wall’s
Stone ears.
 
 

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