Tuesday 23 June 2009

A Letter from Carnegiea gigantea by Gary Wong

My Dear Rain,

Tomorrow is the eighty-second day
I've been apart from you—my dear, my rain.
The Arizona heat can kill a stray,
but waiting here, I braved the desert flames.

To bring you back, I grew a ruby flower
at night, in secret, using water saved
from last you gave me kisses from the clouds.
I grew the stone with rain—your rain—and faith.

Caressed my nettles, licked my waxy flesh—
I know, deep down, you felt these feelings too.
Come back to me. My roots are shallow, fresh
are your storms, and I have a life to lose.

Gone. Gone away. I kissed the Flicker's beak.
He drank the you from me: the life of me.




Gary Wong, California, USA

4 comments:

poefusion said...

Wonderful on so many levels. I see a dried up relationship and a craving for rain all in one poem. Last two lines... priceless. Have a great night.

Unknown said...

I've been apart from you- my dear, my rain
I love this phrase.

James said...

Lovely. The last stanza is really nice.

Pearl said...

ome back to me. My roots are shallow, fresh
are your storms, and I have a life to lose.

what an eloquent appeal to weather.