Unmarked
No calendars mark
the first day of autumn—
not even ones posted on suburban
double-wide fridges. No calendars
mark the flutter of wings—
your bone-colored skirt
crying above Blue Spring. No calendars
mark the first day of your period—
the blood dripping into pyramids
on river rock. No calendars
mark the flutter of romance—
I shoulder a nest into your thighs
and craft our hair into a tent. No calendars
mark the flutter of union—
we sleep beneath the sexed redbuds
purpling like bruises.
—Dave Malone, from O: Love Poems from the Ozarks
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Photo by 白士 李, Creative Commons, via Flickr. “Unmarked” first ran as “No Calendars” at The Meadow. Music by Wayne Blinne.
- Poetry Club Tea Date ✨ Kissed - January 21, 2021
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- The Poetry Club Tea Date ✨ Braiding His Hair - October 22, 2020
Bethany says
It is always special to hear the poet read his or her own piece. I was intrigued too by the subtle differences between the reading and the printed poem above. Do you mind if I ask which one came first? Love the footage of the leaves.
Caroline Gerardo says
Dave Malone is the greatest!
Dave Malone says
Aw, thanks, Caroline! So are you. 🙂
Dave Malone says
Hi, Bethany, thank you. I like that you noted the subtle differences. The entire text of the poem came first. 🙂
When I make poetry films, they are often a very organic experience, and this one was unexpected. While reviewing some footage I had taken at a personal retreat, it occurred to me that the power and simplicity of the forest tree images made me think of the poem, “Unmarked.” And when I watched the footage (while looking at the words of the poem), I realized two things: one, I needed to reverse the film (so what you see is actually the pan I took from the sky downward) and two, the take was too short for me to read the entire poem, so I had to pick and choose lines by intuiting while I watched the footage. Whew. That was probably more than you bargained for. It was a lot of fun to do, and I concur–I felt lucky that day that the leaves and trees were so brilliant. Thanks so much for asking! 🙂
Bethany says
Thanks for taking the time to describe the experience! I love hearing about the artistic process. Hm: “…I had to pick and choose lines by intuiting while I watched the footage.” A whole other kind of art. 🙂
Dave Malone says
You’re welcome. Appreciate you asking. 🙂