Code-Breaking
The doctor calls
when the news is bad.
That's how he makes
a connection you will
not, once dinner's on
the table and you're turning
over in your mind how
something so small could
become such a big deal.
Your wife stays mum
as you clean your plate,
your permission to say no
more than you think
you want her to know,
which is that every cause
has its effect: No body
betrays itself until it
breaks its own code.
© 2012 Maureen E. Doallas
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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14 comments:
Oh Maureen.
this is powerful.
I am in awe of your ability to decode words into meaningful substance.
This is effective because it deals with something most of us have faced or will face: that ominous call. I like the way the poem is built around a simple meal, made part of everyday life, clarifying the betrayal (such an effective word!) of the body, My favorite poems are direct, seemingly simple, a window into something complex. This really works on all those levels.
Mortality...no respecter of persons. Killer ending. No pun intended.
ugh...this took me back to when my dad first got cancer..he kept it from us until were were sledding one day and he hit the place on his shoulder and blood went everywhere...
This poem MAKES the code.
Loving your line breaks...brilliant here, really.
A very powerful poem. You write about these moments with great originality and felt detail--there are no cliches here (I'm almost sorry to say as it feels so direct and experiential.) The close is especially strong--so many codes at work. K .
I so appreciate your writing Maureen...
clever word weaving in the midst of such difficulty and truth. Wow.
Yes... bad news seems to come at dinner. I got the news about a friend's death at dinner, too.
Poignant and real... I love this.
A doctor calls and breathing pauses.
The precise lines and words are like Morse code, tapping out its truth insistently and relentlessly.
Interesting how little things, gestures, rituals, etc., can communicate much. A crisp, well-written, relatable piece.
At once subtly understated, and packing a heck of a punch!
Great poem. Thank you for writing it.
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