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Ramona Moth's avatar

This actually made me think of one of my favorite poems by Dean Young . Always a genuine treat to read these

Benno's avatar

Hey! Thank you Ramona! I’ve never heard of Dean Young, what would you recommend?

Ramona Moth's avatar

He’s very associative & surrealist imo! I’ve heard amazing things about his collection Elegy on Toy Piano, but this is one of my favorite pieces:

“Only One of My Deaths” by Dean Young

Because it seems the only way to save the roses

is to pluck the Japanese beetles out of

their convoluted paradise

and kill them, I think for a moment,

instead of crushing them in the driveway,

of impaling them on the thorns.

Perhaps they'd prefer that.

Benno's avatar

Oh, thank you for this, it is really beautiful, and it also made me think of one of my poems, but curiously not this one, but another I have in Spanish which I might translate prompted by this 🙏

Ramona Moth's avatar

I would love to read it !!

Martin Garcia's avatar

Benno! This is awesome. Makes me think of those hot days spent of the patio simply letting my skin tan.

I liked the ending there. It makes me think that to really enjoy what is going on death is not hovering over the occasion - as it is want to do.

Hope all is good!

Benno's avatar

Thanks Martin, it is def something along the lines of thinking about the role of the death to sometimes appreciate things we take for granted because they’re so common. Have a great week!