Sunday, September 28, 2014

James Babbs- Three Poems

Now I’m Really Confused

I didn’t know why
I was waiting for her
she’d already told me
numerous times
she didn’t want to go out with me
but there I was
sitting in my car again
listening to the radio
waiting for her to finish work
I just wanted to talk to her
because
I had some new things
I needed to tell her
things she didn’t know about me
the door opened and
when I saw her walking out
I swear
there was a light
from the sky falling on her
I faltered
I felt like I couldn’t move and
I forgot
what I was doing there
then she saw me
she smiled at me and waved
I waved back at her and
she came over to the car and
climbed inside
before I knew what was happening
hey
she said
her smile shooting through me
like a bullet from a gun
I tried to say something
but it got stuck in my throat
what are you up to
she asked me
I kept clearing my throat and
finally
managed to cough up a
nothing in reply
she gazed out the window
I had turned down the radio
but I could still hear it softly playing
she turned back to me
I could really use a drink
she said
we drove to a bar I knew
not too far from there
we had a few drinks and
some good conversation
once I was able to talk
she told me a lot of things
I already knew
but it didn’t bother me
we stayed at the bar for a couple of hours
but she never mentioned anything
about all the times
I’d asked her out
when I drove her back
we both got out and
I walked with her over to her car
it was starting to get dark
but I could still see her face
shining in the fading light
we stood there for a moment
without saying anything
then I felt her hand
touching my arm and
she leaned into me
kissing me heavily on the mouth
I felt her
pulling something from me
when she stepped back
I saw it
hanging in the air between us
goodbye
she said
getting into her car
I watched her drive away and
after she was gone
I kept standing there
I didn’t know what to think


Then I Looked at Her

I remember
we had a few exchanges
something about
the high cost of beer and
the funny name of
the drink she ordered
then we had a short discussion
about how this place
didn’t have pitchers and
I asked her
where she was from
I told her
I liked the color of her eyes and
she seemed to be enjoying herself
because
I watched a smile
lighting up her face
when I asked her
if I could buy her a drink
she just nodded her head
then I looked at her and
something
hung in the air between us
I told her
I was going to ask her
for her number
but she’d probably just end up
breaking my heart
because
sooner or later
every woman did and
she started laughing
because
I guess she thought
I was trying to be funny


Disturbance

I imagine objects
falling past my window
sometimes
I think about drowning
especially when I’m driving
over bridges and
I can see the rivers
spreading out below me
in the dark
underneath the moonlight
snow-covered fields resemble
large bodies of water and
I think about lakes
I contemplate
the vastness of the ocean and
too often I catch myself
dreaming of your body again
the way it felt
when I last touched you
a million years ago and
most days
I have no idea where I’m going
I just like to keep moving and
some time soon
I want to fly
just by waving my arms and
I’ll take off all my clothes
to make my body lighter and
when I soar over your house
I want to scream your name
at the top of my lungs

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