To the Lonely Hunter--in Memory | Teen Ink

To the Lonely Hunter--in Memory

July 29, 2021
By Lydiaq ELITE, Somonauk, Illinois
Lydiaq ELITE, Somonauk, Illinois
179 articles 54 photos 1026 comments

Favorite Quote:
The universe must be a teenage girl. So much darkness, so many stars.
--me


Grass is wilting

Windows are bright hot squares

Merry-go-rounds turn with sickening motion

Round and round and round and round

Till the anemic and wasted sun goes down.

Dreamers tonight speak of the ocean

Cut down from dreams like tattered laundry—

Yellow skins on useless skeletons,

Rotted teeth, dulled swords

Naked children, dripping pipes, screaming doors

Motionless moon, silent god

Ripped shoes, sewing machine parts

Big bones, stills and secret swamps, boxing gloves,

Conga line of dwarves in pea-green trousers

Staring down the highway into glassy sky—

Reflections in a blind and gouged-out eye.

Nameless corpses, clumsy knives,

Whiskey music, stolen tickets

Nothing to say, nothing to do, no reason to cry

Howls from the chain gang, clang of shovels, dusty song.

Teenage girls dripping from blue lakes into sad maturity

Lessons hard-boiled like eggs in the wrathful sun.

Let the doors open, let the light outside the café

Or I will break the door down with my fists,

Fighting with my dirty, suicidal head to the floor

Groping for the music, music, music

Mute and lame and blind and fearful,

I will tear at the air with all my might

Till the clouds heavy with my song sail out of sight.


The author's comments:

This is a tribute, I guess, about the works of Carson McCullers, one of my favorite authors. The poem is horribly depressing, and so are her books. If you have read her books, you can understand some of the references in this poem. By the way, I made up the conga line of dwarves...that's not in anyone's book to my knowlege. 


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This article has 4 comments.


on Aug. 8 2021 at 8:08 pm
SparrowSun ELITE, X, Vermont
200 articles 23 photos 1053 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It Will Be Good." (complicated semi-spiritual emotional story.)

"Upon his bench the pieces lay
As if an artwork on display
Of gears and hands
And wire-thin bands
That glisten in dim candle play." -Janice T., Clockwork[love that poem, dont know why, im not steampunk]

hey, my computer wont work, im using the famliy one. until i get a new one in a few weeks ill be gone.

on Aug. 7 2021 at 3:23 pm
Crazywolfiegirl2 PLATINUM, Kington, Other
26 articles 3 photos 284 comments

Favorite Quote:
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. —Rachel Carson

This is so beautiful, but so sad. I love it so much

on Aug. 7 2021 at 11:03 am
SparrowSun ELITE, X, Vermont
200 articles 23 photos 1053 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It Will Be Good." (complicated semi-spiritual emotional story.)

"Upon his bench the pieces lay
As if an artwork on display
Of gears and hands
And wire-thin bands
That glisten in dim candle play." -Janice T., Clockwork[love that poem, dont know why, im not steampunk]

so do you still want to cowrite?
i have a couple of cowrite ideas jotted somewhere, or do you have any?

Lydiaq ELITE said...
on Aug. 6 2021 at 1:02 pm
Lydiaq ELITE, Somonauk, Illinois
179 articles 54 photos 1026 comments

Favorite Quote:
The universe must be a teenage girl. So much darkness, so many stars.
--me

I have another idea for this poem--the Carson McCullers Cookbook.