Hemispheres

i try to sleep
when you're awake,
adding and subtracting the hours
knowing

when i climb into bed
you are dressing for work,

eating your Blueberry Morning cereal,
opening the curtains
before the glass door to the balcony.

Buddhist monks
play their golden bowls
on your cd player

while i am wiping off the day,
scrubbing my face
with the abrasive side
of the disposable cleanising pads
I bought to take with me
so I wouldn't get your washcloths
stained
with my makeup.

I pull the blankets over my head
while you make your bed,
click the latch of my door
and shut myself inside,
as you open yours to face another day.

Do you think of me?

Night time is the one time
I will allow myself
to call you to me,
let you say
the things you said before
once more
or the things I wish you'd said
or would say.

But in the morning
I awake
to find my monitor blank,
to find
that once more
you've said nothing.

I know your day
is drawing to a close
and i long
to close the blankets
over me

until I know that you're asleep
in the bed we slept in.

Then like a dream i rise
in hope
that you will let me rise
in your dreams

Reviews

[Ilene M.W. Lush]

lovely piece. there are different ways to break this poem, but the way you have already done it is perfect.

ah yes. the blank monitor. damn it. the 21st century allows no missed messages (still mixed ones though). we are all accessible in one way or another all the time.

[Brian K. Walters]

Your talent at imagery is very good as is your passion. Very nice write.

[Yira Simone]

I liked this poem...here's why:

I liked the way you kept touches of realism of a daily life, i.e. the type of cereal, the cleansing pads, the doors closing and opening, the bed and the blankets. I felt all those details made it easy for the reader to relate to your poem and the meaning of living with someone, but being alone.

Whereas I liked this poem, I did have a couple of suggestions. In stanza 5, I felt you could cut down on the wording...give a blunt view of the removing the make up and how you are doing yur best not to inconvience him. I felt you gave to much info on the cleansing pads...it took away from what you were trying to say.

Everything else was perfect to me. You are very good at expressing life through words and great with imagery. I look forward to reading more of your work.-Catrina

[Barry S. Maltese]

Good title - because it seems as if you may as well be living on 2 differant sides of the world. Nice job.

[The Language of Birds]

Touching and beautiful throughout, Elizabeth. Perfect title.

And I can feel both the warmth and emptiness of the covers.

Well done once again.

Jim C-D

[Doug]

All of your poetry is all so somber. They're all the, "I just missed a really great relationship" type of thing.

eating your Blueberry Morning cereal,
opening the curtains
before the glass door to the balcony.

I really like the imagery in that stanza. It definitely put me into the scenario. But I always end up really feeling for the character in your poems. Really sad stuff. Good job though.