Poem, anyone? "My Life By Somebody Else"

[riff]

"My Life By Somebody Else"

I have done what I could but you avoid me.
I left a bowl of milk on the desk to tempt you.
Nothing happened. I left my wallet there, full of money.
You must have hated me for that. You never came.

I sat at my typewriter naked, hoping you would wrestle me
to the floor. I played with myself just to arouse you.
Boredom drove me to sleep. I offered you my wife.
I sat her on the desk and spread her legs. I waited.

The days drag on. The exhausted light falls like a bandage
over my eyes. It is because I am ugly? Was anyone
ever so sad? It is pointless to slash my wrists. My hands
would fall off. And then what hope would I have?

Why do you never come? Must I have you by being
somebody else? Must I write My Life by somebody else?
My Death by somebody else? Are you listening?
Somebody else has arrived. Somebody else is writing.

- Mark Strand

 

[Wiggles]

This poem confuses me. Can you explain please?

 

[riff]

This poem confuses me. Can you explain please?

Tell me what confuses you. I promise no nasty scare the crap out of you links.

 

[Wiggles]

Ha! Very funny. <evil eye>

Mainly I don't understand who the poem is being directed to, and why you have it up as your sig line.

From my understanding the writer doesn't feel worthy, they've changed themselves to fit with this person.

What really confuses me is the bowl of milk on the desk, and then money. The milk leaves me thinking of a feline, but the money makes me think this is towards another person.

 

[riff]

I think

the poem is directed to the writer. I really think that people are like diamonds, they have many faces. I like to think that anyway.

The writer wants or needs to write and he increasingly tempts himself to come to himself. First he is gentle, offering a bowl of milk, yes.. like a kitty. Then he tempts with a wallet full of money, a little stronger. He sits at the typewriter and jerks off- sure this would arouse his attention? He even offers himself his wife! Who could resist her- on his desk, her legs spread?

He doesn't come to himself. He gets depressed, thinks of killing himself, but this would be counterproductive to writing, I think.

In the final stanza, he becomes himself, somebody else, and he is writing.

I put the title of the poem in my thingie there to perhaps attract attention to the poem in hope that someone might see that in another post, then see the title of the poem on the board, and have a look. Manipulative, yes? heh.

It's a great poem, I think.

 

[Tim1]

Riff

I read that poem 3 times and I agree that it is very good. I would say it is powerful.

See ya....

 

[Wiggles]

Ah, ok. I see. I hadn't thought of that.

And yes very manipulative!