Monday, July 20, 2009

Jus' a Really Good Poem.

I have her book (At the Drive-in Volcano). It's pretty great.

Candy Necklace
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Each piece of chalky wafer breaks
my heart. I adore these pastel chips

strung on the thinnest of elastics. I hold
them in my mouth. I drool little rings
 
down my lips and when I try 
to talk and giggle there is a catch

in the throat-a catch when the elastic
snaps and the sizzle of candy spills on tile

like a drop of orange sauce on a hot grill.
Winter now and drunk flies knock

my window for just one more drink
of light, or to sink into fruit juice left in a glass

overnight. I chew off all the tiny pink
rings, then the blues, the yellows, and leave

all the white: a sad excuse for pearls
at this age. We have sticky necks

sticky hands and when I slide the candy-
an acabus around my neck- I count the times

you thought of me today- or was it 
how many times I thought of you?

I set the silly truck-stop rings you offered me
under my tongue. My neck is still sticky,

still collects- but the candy necklace
I wear tonight is all the rings you gave

my phone and I didn't answer. Now
I can afford even peacock pearls clasped

in a wild gold latch but I have no money
for his steps     his boot    his taste.

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