mama, papa is wounded - neil ellman

(after the painting by Yves Tanguy)

Fornever more

when the green-clad offings

of peace

thread the spool

of malevolent day 

there

among the leavings

of ever-never

are the offspring of an almost

perfect war

                      *

                 

              mama mama

        his wounds run deep

              papa papa

                or what

                if ever

                 how

               you die

                     *

for the if- and the might- and

the when- of my life, for you

and brothers in arms.




Twice nominated for Best of the Net, Neil Ellman lives and writes in New Jersey. Hundreds of his poems, many of which are ekphrastic and based on works of modern art, appear in print and online journals throughout the world, as well as in nine chapbooks.