Thursday, February 02, 2006

we are the hollow men - Lyle Daggett

        we are the hollow men
  deconstructions of gray. looking back
half in shadow, half in near light,
severe close-up.

the large round moist eyes
weary from the chores of interrogation,
museum of missing suspects.
        after the fact. reminiscent
of a mapplethorpe photo
of roy cohn late in life:
face and head sharp lit
in dark background, nearly
disembodied,
face worn and cratered, plagued
by the failure of years, eyes
opened wide with shock and haunting,
having seen too much,
learned too little.
     here the light is softer, the eyes
softer, found in sadness, traced
in hesitation.
the source of light not apparent, but
a recognition perhaps, the charge
of a question.
a suggestion of movement, or almost,
or not quite yet.
the same patchwork, the same haunting,
the same shell. school
of disquiet.
as when the day's mail arrives.
as when an alarm sounds, and the room
empties, and a figure remains
solitary, chalk-like,
listening to the echoes.
clouded day through the large windows.
the place where in the end all words
break down.
a look that says
it has happened before, nearby.

--after a photograph of Ron Silliman

5 comments:

Unknown said...

This is wonderful. Just great.

This is one of my selections for this month.

d.

Michelle M. Buchanan said...

"school of disquiet. as when the day's mail arrives. as when an alarm sounds, and the room empties, and a figure remains solitary, chalk-like, listening to the echoes."

Lyle, excellent.

Pris said...

Lyle
Superb!!!! I read it several times just so I could savour it.

Pris
(by the way, I need a photo of you for guessing the mystery blogger correctly if you're willing to send. My email addy is in my profile. I couldn't find one to write you)

hwf said...

And yet, so much of that says, 'writer'. Great poem, Lyle.

Helm.

Lyle Daggett said...

Thanks all for your comments.

Didi, my thanks as well for sending it to the IBPC.

Pris, I emailed you this evening (Monday the 6th).