Mechanical PerturbationFrom three thousand miles away
a heartbeat is difficult to detect.
The insulation of distance mutes
the sound of sinus rhythms as they fade.
My first car had a bad fuel pump,
the diaphragm membrane developed
a hole and the car began to lose power.
As the hole grew, the engine got weaker
until one day it just stopped.
The day you gave me my first “A”
I think my heart skipped a beat.
The wall of doubt had its first crack
and you’d handed me the hammer.
A new fuel pump for a 1963 VW Bus
is not a stock item so I had to wait
almost a week for the part to arrive.
I used the extra time to change
the oil and adjust the valves.
The first heart transplant took place
in 1964. For lack of a suitable donor
they used a chimpanzee heart;
the patient lived for a little over an hour.
If they can't find a donor, your heart
may stop before I hear it beat again.
Cedars-Sinai is apparently out of stock,
and chimp hearts are no longer used.
I’m not sure how to fill the wait time.
I got rid of the VW bus years ago,
replacement fuel pump and all.
The wall is mostly rubble now;
all I’m left with is your hammer,
and three thousand miles of silence.
(Re-posted from Notes & Grace Notes)
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20 comments:
Love the way you alternate between the two types of hearts & create a beating effect w/ it. Good job.
I really dug this.
Wow, great piece..heart failure, VW failure..Middle age makes one rethink a lot of things in life...your blending was perfect thinking...bkm
well said sir.
This poem does not suit everyones taste because it is a little too personal. I wrote it for my first creative writing teacher when she was waiting for a heart.
Liked it..the pulse was steady as the metaphor.
i enjoyed this steve...the switch between the two kept the piece "ticking over" (trust me no pun intended)...thanks for sharing with OSW....pete
Sense of immense distance yet a defiant intimacy; I had a 67 VW bus, if only all it had needed was a new diaphragm..actually, at this point, I could use one myself..A very well-crafted poem. Always a pleasure to read good work.
Interesting read...the comparison between waiting for the heart and the part for the car. Enjoyed your use of language and flow... nicely done!
read it yesterday via twitter - but thought i have to read it a second time and tell you, i really like it..heartfelt (if you excuse the pun)
Im not sure how you compose such perfection but I am glad I get to read it on my gloomy days.. Thank you
Great arrangement of ideas and images throughout your poem. Very tight composition. One of my favorites of yours. Cheers
The VW a heap easier to fix especially that model.
nice flow and I enjoyed the contrast of the two
thanks for the One shot
moon smiles
It is easier to lose a VW when it's heart has stopped than it is to lose a person you care for when their heart stops, I enjoyed the similarities between mechanical and flesh and blood, well expressed and well penned.
Anita.
http://anitaseroticpoetry.blogspot.com/2008/05/tattoo-me.html
There's a kind of winsome longing here, a recognition that replacement parts, or replacement hearts, don't work quite as wwll as the originals. Nice one, sir.
Its very interesting work... I liked it.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com
unbeatable piece.
Glad to Land at your magical poetry land today,
How are you?
Love your poetry talent, Please join us at Jingle Poetry Monday potluck tonight,
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Happy Sunday/Monday,
Hope to see you in.
xxx
Wow 3000 miles of silence and a hammer -
I am Excited by Read this Post. Good Work by You Thanks For Sharing With Us
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