As this suburban summer wanders toward dark
cats watch from their driveways — they are bored
and await miracles. The houses show, through windows
flashes of knife and fork, the blue light
of televisions, inconsequential fights
between wife and husband in the guest bathroom
voices sound like echoes in these streets
the chattering of awful boys as they plot
behind the juniper and ivy, miniature guerillas
that mimic the ancient news of the world
and shout threats, piped high across mock fences
to girls riding by in the last pieces of light
the color of the sky makes brilliant reflection
in the water and oil along the curb
deepened aqua and the sharp pure rose of the clouds
there is no sun or moon, few stars wheel
above the domestic scene — this half-lit world
still, quiet calming the dogs worried by distant alarms
there — a woman in a window washes a glass
a man across the street laughs through an open door
utterly alien, alone. There is a time, seconds between
the last light and the dark stretch ahead, when color
is lost — the girl on her swing becomes a swift
apparition, black and white flowing suddenly into night.
Dear Ian:
I am calmed by your reading of Rachel Sherwood’s poem, “the World in the Evening,” because the words give a very calm vibe. Also the title is very calm.
One line that stands out for me is, “voices sound like echoes in these streets.” I think this line is calm echoing is a very psychadelic sound.
Another line that stands out for me is, the color of the sky makes brilliant reflection”. I think this line is deep because it is a metaphor for reflecting on life at the end of the day.
this poem was so good
Dear Ian:
I am intrigued with your reading of Rachel Sherwood’s poem, “The World in the Evening,” because when you read it I was able to get a deeper understanding of what this poem could mean. One set of lines that stands out for me is,
“miniature guerillas
that mimic the ancient news of the world
and shout threats, piped high across mock fences
to girls riding by in the last pieces of light”.
I think these lines are powerful because it shows what summer can potentially be in this town. Another set of lines that stands out for me is,
“voices sound like echoes in these streets
the chattering of awful boys as they plot
behind the juniper and ivy,”.
I think these lines are powerful because it shows the negative actions people can have this summer.
Your reading helps me to understand a poem that I once heard. It is also about how summer is approaching but the only difference is in this poem, it was about the positives of summer in this town.
Thanks for your reading. I look forward to seeing what you make next.