This is the final poem.
It's also a contrapuntal, so it's
read three different ways it's short.
Thank you for being with me in this space.
"Contrapuntal, the myth they made to survive."
I'll read the left column first.
"She never cries until she is in the car.
She made that rule on day one.
He could believe in a myth if he wanted.
She would be his myth if it helped him keep living."
"She never cries until she is home,
or in the steam of the shower, or until she's in the car,
until she can be made wholly alone with no one watching.
She made that rule trying to save herself
from the agony of tenderness.
On day one she held it in until she choked and threw up.
If he could believe she was OK, was willing, was waiting,
she could live in a myth if he wanted.
Inside a myth where there were two gods equally insane.
She would be his equal, willing to turn stone, turn tree bark,
turn from real to myth if it helped
something impossible to keep her untouchable.
And she could help him keep living,
create any world she wanted as long as it
ended with set free."
And the last part of the poem, the last column.
"Until she is home, or in the steam of the shower,
or until she can be wholly alone with no one watching,
trying to save herself from the agony of tenderness.
She held it in until she choked and threw up.
If she was OK, was willing, was waiting,
she could live inside a myth where they
were two gods equally insane.
Equal, willing to turn stone, turn tree bark,
turn from real to something impossible to keep
her untouchable.
And she could create any world she wanted as long
as it ended with set free."
Thank you.