Wednesday, January 04, 2006
The Truest Truth
Tory Dent has passed away, age 47. She had been diagnosed with AIDS at age 30, and wrote many powerful poems about that experience.
Life's truest truth, it's that truth itself
unravels in ways that reveal less not more sense or comfort.
Consolationless is the tarmac wind, the kickback of jet fuel fume,
the bulkhead of the coffin wherein only regret to be alive
alights in contrast.
It burns like eyes burned out by cinders,
a hot poker waved amidst laughter.
It burns, a torch's temporary pathway
improvised within black trees, blue trees.
It burns like a novena unerring,
pure prayer within the black trees of longing.
It burns, the ultimate act of atonement,
the cremation of what I tried to save.
It burns in order to drown, ash in saline,
May fly rose petals of burial at sea.
--Black Milk
in memory of "HIV, Mon Amour"
Wikipedia on Tory Dent.
Three poems at PoemHunter.
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