Service Alert: Delayed Delivery
“Sea and sky were a single ashgray thing and the sands of the beach, which on March nights glimmered like powdered light, had become a stew of mud and rotten shellfish. The light was so weak at noon that when Pelayo was coming back to the house after throwing away the crabs, it was hard for him to see what it was that was moving and
groaning in the rear of the courtyard. He had to go very close to see that it was an old man, a very old man, lying face down in the mud, who, in spite of his tremendous efforts, couldn’t get up, impeded by his enormous wings.”
-Gabriel García Márquez, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
groaning in the rear of the courtyard. He had to go very close to see that it was an old man, a very old man, lying face down in the mud, who, in spite of his tremendous efforts, couldn’t get up, impeded by his enormous wings.”
-Gabriel García Márquez, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
be the prophet witnessing a massacred miracle
like an angel with a broken wing falling from the sky
a divine messenger carrying a basket
–interrupted mid-flight–
who, upon crashing down to earth
::thud::
thanks the hard-packed dirt for softening the blow
the scattered content kicks up dust
while the angel rasps a languageless cough–
spreading sacred secrets to preoccupied passersby
who won’t notice their own wickedness escaping delivery to Babylon
16 thoughts on "Service Alert: Delayed Delivery"
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I really like how ‘languageless’ looks as a word and what it does for the poem. This was an enjoyable read.
Thank you, Philip. Yeah, “languageless” is a unique one for sure.
Fabulous! I love it.
Thank you, Chelsie!
appreciate the imperative first line, love the sound effect in stanza 2, and the way the angel mostly goes unnoticed
Thanks, Gaby! That sound effect was one of my favorites to format. I had a few different iterations, but I’m glad I stuck with this one. I appreciate your thoughtful read.
There’s so many layers to this one, I feel like a witness in reading it, sacred secrets spreading
Thank you, Arwen! I appreciate that you see the layers here. I certainly felt like a witness while crafting it. Thanks for reading!
Powerful witness poem. Love the flow allowed by no punctuation and the stops created by – – and :: ::
Yes to “languageless” and to how you create sound “::thud::”
Thank you, Pam! Gotta love a good ::thud::, right?! Ha!
I appreciate your kind words and that you always take such care when reading my poems. 💜
Gottttt Dammmmmm!
You had me at Márquez. And then I tried to find a line and the whole thing unspooled like a fish quick stripping a reel…. masterwork!!!
Many thanks, Coleman! That means a lot. And now, I wish I was out on the lake fishing!
Magical realism flows from Marquez into this “languageless” piece effortlessly. layers of wonder, faith, and cruelty meet the everyday world. Drawn to this poem several times, and with each reading I discover something new. Well done, H.A.
Thanks, l.! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this one. Thank you for the care with which you read (and re-read!) this one.
Marquez has always been a favorite, and I remember teaching this story in class. That first line is a lesson for the ages! The sounds of the poem echo the magic, and I love the “thud.”
Thanks, Sylvia! Yes, Márquez is extraordinary. I, too, teach this story and I can never get enough of it. That “thud” was fun to write. I appreciate that you read so generously. 💜