Julie Ellinger Hunt’s most recent poem to appear here was In Pieces (September 2011).
Whether …
By Julie Ellinger Hunt
By Julie Ellinger Hunt
Whether beside me
or in a different dimension
riding camels backwards
and drinking air.
Whether you want to
acknowledge it or
throw it deep in the hallway
closet next to last year’s
Halloween decorations.
Whether it is here or
somewhere else.
Or if the wind changes
directions before you’re ready
it will be just what it is
regardless of what input you have.
Whether it’s on top of me
or some girl you met while
window shopping,
it will happen eventually.
You will deviate.
You will become who you don’t expect.
You will succeed in this.
Whether you like it or not.
Wonderful poem, but I loved the visual of the first paragraph.
How ominous.
The poem leaves me shuddering. The pleasant ambiance moves relentlessly toward dissolution, winding so tight that the last line snaps. Is it a warning, an observation, or a prediction? In every case, the poem makes a powerful statement. For all the control we think we have (or want), there are forces at work outside us that may matter more. I love to read your work, Julie.