Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Stranger

Stopped in my tracks, by the figure on the glass,
I wonder and stare with anatomic gaze
At a familiar shape but somewhat askew
That breeds within veins new coils of unease
Which wrecks all my networks of neurons in haste.

So I unleash my armory of old scales and tapes
And martial all photographic evidence of self
To puzzle me the name of the stranger in glass
Who gazes with fixated steel in its eyes
That drills all these holes on my sky.

Each time I measure, it shrinks another inch
And pukes a few balls of certificates slimed.

14 comments:

Brian Miller said...

wow...rather intense...the person in glass made me think of sleeping beauty...the trying to measure the body before you as well...trying to make sense...

sayan said...

stranger..intense....deep...cold.like iron in winter...good...you have a run in with strangers..write more about them...

Anonymous said...

Awesome. Confusion, disgust. Disgust at being confused.

"So I unleash my armory of old scales and tapes And martial all photographic evidence"

The war-like phrasing is perfect here, theme furthered by "drills all these holes in my sky."

I always comment on your word choice, and will again here. Well done.

NataĊĦek said...

I like the description..this line in particular "Which wrecks all my networks of neurons in haste" stood out to me.

Sumana Roy said...

description of 'unease' of the inner self is unique but i wonder who the stranger is........

Susan said...

And what if it was himself he saw? Could we be that unknown and scary to ourselves?

Kerry O'Connor said...

Such a portrait of intensive self-searching, Abin. I guess we all have days like this.

revelations said...

I liked these lines as well..

"So I unleash my armory of old scales and tapes And martial all photographic evidence"

who is this steely eyed stranger....

Brother Ollie said...

cool gritty poem AC.

Thanks for the words on encouragement.

Mary said...

Intense, evocative writing. I find myself wondering about this stranger in the glass.

Mademoiselle Modelle said...

I too wonder who is this stranger that provokes such feeling.

Preeti S. said...

Wow. The battle of self against the reflection it sees. Kinda makes me think that the reflection is the one forcefully shaped by the society (especially with ref. to the certificates. '3 idiots' thing, perhaps?). It is a tightly structured poem with every line well thought out. Got to read it a couple of times more. Good work. :)

Sherry Blue Sky said...

"the stranger in the glass"......and the mustering of the "evidence of self". Cool! (I avoid my reflection in store windows as often as possible! Impossible that that is me. So this resonates.

Scarlet said...

That last couplet is rather intense ~ I like the measuring/shrinking part ~

Good to see you Abin ~