Berfrois

Two Poems by Yahia Lababidi

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For Rimbaud

Could it be that, from the start
the thing he sought, this demon-angel,
was always just outside the page

That, after swimming the length of the alphabet,
with fine gills and deranging senses, he created
an opening for others, but a trap for himself?

If so, then slipping through those watery bars
was imperative, a chastened mysticism –
and freedom to write in the air, to be human.

 

Fanciful Creators

What fanciful creators we are:
bestowing shock absorbers on cars
sprinkling tenderizer on meats
and stitching wrinkle-resistant shirts

Such wishful thinking, this
giving away what we desire.

 


About the Author:

Yahia Lababidi, an Egyptian-American thinker and poet, is the author of 5 books in 4 genres. His latest is Barely There, a new collection of short poems. For more information visit here.