Still April, right?

[tortoisegirl]

I've been neglecting National Poetry Month. I'm actually pretty lousy with poetry, both reading and writing and understanding it, but poetry and I have our moments. Maybe I like this one because I'm not even sure if it counts as a poem. It's part of a play; Savage/Love by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin, which is made up of a series of poems that are performed by an actor on stage. It surprised me that I liked it, both as a play and as poetry.

So have some love(ish) poetry, complete with stage directions.


Beggar

Could you give me a small part of yourself
I’m only asking for the tiniest part
Just enough to get me from here to there

Could you give me something
Anything at all
I’ll accept whatever it is

Could you just put your hand on my head
Could you brush against my arm
Could you just come near enough
So I could feel though you might be able to hold me

Could you touch me with your voice
Blow your breath in my direction

Is it all right if I look straight into your face

Could I just walk behind you for a little while
Would you let me follow you at a distance

If I had anything of value I’d gladly give it to you
If there’s anything of me you want just take it

But don’t think I’m this way with everybody
I almost never come to this
In fact it’s usually the other way around

There’s lots of people
Who would love to even have a conversation with me
Who even ask me if they can walk behind me

So don’t get any ideas that I’m completely alone
Because I’m not

In fact you’re the one who looks like you could use a little company

Where do you get off thinking you have anything to give me anyway

I have everything I need
And what I don’t have I know where to get it
Any time I want

In the middle of the night
In the middle of the afternoon
Five o’clock in the morning

In fact I’m just wasting my time right now
Just talking to you

Hums
A capella, melody line only
no words

“I’m in the mood for love”