Thursday, August 2, 2012

Encounter



image borrowed from bing


Encounter
I, who have driven bone lonesome
across the dark desert spine
along the two lanes of California 395,
speeding flat out into the clamped maw,
across the dark desert spine
of another mysterious pre-dawn,
speeding flat out into the clamped maw,
my yellow Pinto charging bravely forward
of another mysterious pre-dawn,
breakneck and fearless as my eyes cleared,
my yellow Pinto charging bravely forward
between Edwards AFB and Area 51;
I, who have driven bone lonesome
between Edwards AFB and Area 51
racing toward the light like a man moth
along the two lanes of California 395.
Glenn Buttkus
August 2012

Posted over on dVerse Poets-FFA

Would you like to hear the author read this Pantoum for you?

20 comments:

Brian Miller said...

i like the turn of phrase, bone lonesome...cool on that...and the form lends well to your tale and the pacing...love your word choice ..maw

Mary said...

I agree with Brian in regard to 'bone lonesome.' This poem gives me a lonely feeling all around....nice pantoum.

John (@bookdreamer) said...

Fire up and let's get down the lonesome trail!

Susan Daniels said...

Here's another vote for bone lonesome. Very nice.

Claudia said...

ha..i agree on the bone lonesome as well..nicely done sir...smiles...so you're not a rule bender..eh..? smiles

Frank Watson said...

Loved this, very funny poem. Awesome to work in an Area 51 reference and I could just picture the yellow Pinto speeding down the highway lol

vivinfrance said...

bone lonesome is an awesome phrase, and your pantoum creates a very vivid picture. My knowledge of America is confined to films, so I lapped up your poem avidly.

steveroni said...

Man-moth making bee-line for the light...and lonesome! SOME GOOD STUFF here!

And Tonto! "Does white man foot point in or out?" (Only Tonto knows!)
PEACE!

Would you consider to drop the word verification? PUHLEEZE? Two time, this will be my third try--after that...forget it. I still like your work!

henry clemmons said...

Loved the live read. I too adore, BONE LONESOME, needs to be a title of a great book, movie, CD, or even poem:) Superb. The journey was entertaining.

Semaphore said...

Wonderful use of the form. You've found just the perfect blend of metaphor to express not only the expanse of desert emptiness, but the expanse of emptiness in between the stars.

Anonymous said...

Very cool! Wonderfully done pantoum. k.

Susan said...

"another mysterious pre-dawn"

The pantoun repetitions give the sense of riding in your car across the spine and like a moth, pulled to the light, over and over again for a long long time--unless of course, like a moth, you get too close to the light.

Very fine.

Tashtoo said...

From the title to the journey, I thought this fantastic! So many images churned up for me..but it's the lonesome run through those desolate and unacknowledged places produce the best poetry.

Doug Palmer said...

This is fantastic, in the literal sense. Driving through there is just like that.

Grandmother Mary said...

I love that line racing toward the light like a man moth. Makes me wonder who he might encounter in area 51.

flipside records said...

I find this to be a very moving line, Glenn:

"I, who have driven bone lonesome"

The word "bone" always gets me ... it digs straight into the heart, soul, spirit, essence of a person.

Maude Lynn said...

Beautifully done!

flipside records said...

Just wanted to let you know I've missed you this week. I hope all is well.

Anonymous said...

A belated Excellent

Hungrily awaiting the next wave of pomes

janetleigh said...

Wow. Glenn, I see you've been on a glorious roiling roll lately...and I LOVES it! :>