I was scolded because I didn’t
make the coffee
properly. The electricity
from the grass burned
my feet even as I sat
inside, looking through
protective covers
of glass. The thunder
in the distance made the grass
frazzle, and I
longed for that statuesque, red brick
home where I could paint, slathering
canvas with burning
yellow and brandishing
black to draw stick
men with circle heads, men
far more successful
than I. “You
wait for the water
to be scalding, and then you
soak your pot before
you brew your coffee.”
The thunder allows
me to surrender,
to quit fighting
everything, and the darkness,
the weight
of the drops pounds
me into safety, allows me to
retreat into tiny rooms
with those red brick
walls and steel bars and aluminum
utensils so that I can live
out my
days,
protected in the shattered violence
of complete retreat, but my
throat tightens because
it’s not
true and I struggle and I
hate this moment, just this one.
.
stillfugue 
#1 by Evelyn on May 27, 2013 - 11:55 am
This is one.
WOW. I’m a little intimidated by your endless new ways of using words, arranging them, recruiting them…tinging them Carl-esque?
#2 by Carl on May 29, 2013 - 9:01 pm
Your comment is very generous. I don’t know which is one and which is not one. I am trusting your opinion!
#3 by stillight on May 27, 2013 - 7:26 pm
this feels like such a raw and honest piece, Carl… and i find i love that about a lot of you writing… it relates…. and also, it makes me wish i could dig deeper to find that voice inside myself – that i’ve been stifling.
#4 by Carl on May 29, 2013 - 9:03 pm
Thank you for your comment, Jennifer. I get a lot of honesty and clarity of emotions from your work, so you must be digging deep.
#5 by clinock on May 27, 2013 - 10:15 pm
Another brilliance in my night Carl – you have the touch….
#6 by Carl on May 29, 2013 - 9:03 pm
You are very kind, John. I appreciate it.
#7 by Carl D'Agostino on May 28, 2013 - 8:54 pm
soak your pot before
you brew your coffee
I never understood why people did this. I haven’t made my bed in 45 years either.
#8 by Carl on May 29, 2013 - 9:06 pm
Haha! That’s beautiful. I stretch the covers out, but I only make the bed if House Beautiful is coming over to do one of their interviews. They’re good about calling ahead.