Affair with an Actress, Flaming Out
Joanna was a rusty film canister
rattling in a cardboard box,
satin costume ripping, a crime
on stage. The last time I saw her
she was wearing velvet, the color
of moss after rain. I set the table
not knowing it would be our last
time together. We played Chinese
checkers, cooked turkey. After
our third flute of champagne the bomb
wrapped around her heart ran
to zero. I heard Mozart, falling
water, a screaming monkey, something
from Stravinsky,. The cracking of dry
log lusting for flame. She poured herself
out, gravy from the boat. Joanna began
her monologue, a burst of privacies.
Such deplorable offenses! Affairs
with character actors & stunt men.
The domineering father despised
but always longed for. His salt & pepper
side burns, the horse whip he used to keep
her in line. Too many bit parts
until her life was a sequence of scraps
& chards. Oh the loneliness of commercials,
melancholy of the cutting room floor.
melancholy of the cutting room floor.
Joanna was all tone & vibration. Pomegranates
splitting, frantic clacking of a kitchen whisk,
cracking of dry log lusting for flame.
Then her abrupt withdrawal. Candle
snuffed. “You’ve seen too much,
I’ll rid myself of you,” she cried without a trace
of grief & in a commanding stage
voice sharp enough to shatter bone.
14 thoughts on "Affair with an Actress, Flaming Out"
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Great title.
Love it in couplets!!!!
The whole poem is riveting, but I keep coming back to this:
“Joanna was all tone & vibration. Pomegranates
splitting, frantic clacking of a kitchen whisk,”
Wow!
Totally agree! Pomegranates splitting is amazing.
Also agree! Pomegranates
splitting, frantic clacking of a kitchen whisk,”
So many wow lines in this, I’m especially fond of: “I heard Mozart, falling / water, a screaming monkey, something /from Stravinsky,. The cracking of dry / log lusting for flame.”
Love where this one takes me.
“You’ve seen too much,” I recognize this feeling. You capture it well.
Wow!! Dynamic poem– you kept up the momentum with such great description and sense of sound.
Awesome.
Your line breaks are amazing – the bomb/wrapped around her heart ran/to zero. I heard Mozart, falling
Just stellar, Linda. I love your work.
Gravy from the boat! My mind is in the gutter. 😏 But this is one of your best categories of poems: the searing portrait of an old friend. You do them honor.
wonderful portrait of Joanna with vivid details as always!
You are gifted with details! Each line has a star. (And, for some reason, I am always lured by your cover pic – it’s as fascinating as your poetry!)
My goodness. I savored every bit of this. The bomb, the gravy, the horse whip. Lordy, Linda, you’re so good.
Joanna was a rusty film canister
rattling in a cardboard box,
You had me from the start – the stage was immediately set so well!
You’ve chosen such original phrases here!!