[stylist] Poem: "Snuff"

[William L Houts]

The "dephthless x" mentioned in the poem is not a person, as I 
understand it, but a description of a corpse's lifeless eyes.



--Bill






On 3/11/2014 9:46 AM, Miss Thea wrote:
> question: Who is Dephless X?
> Thea
> -----Original Message----- From: William L Houts
> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 7:51 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: [stylist] Poem: "Snuff"
>
> Hi Stylists,
>
> Here's a short poem I wrote last summer.It's interesting to me because I
> was using a lot of rhyme last summer and this one barely has any. The
> subject matter isn't very pretty, but I think this one may be one of my
> best, even if it's bad form to say so, ha.
>
>
> --Bill
>
>
> --Bill
>
>
> ---
>
>
> The photo made me ill:that's how I knew.
>
> This was no gaffe, no show for the marks
>
> but murder:the plain motel bed,
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> and the eyes, god the eyes of dephless X.
>
> Hewas naked,
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> this man reduced to the size
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> of someone's doll.The legs hung
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> over the bed's edge, and he lay,
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> his back flat, though beyond all rest,
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> all sight, all knowing. As if only
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> this camera, this eye
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> and the knifelike eye
>
> behind it, unveiled how things really are:
>
> a mansion of rooms without pity,
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> and their stunted ridiculous devils
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> O reader, with your outraged eye
>
> you've had your monsters too:
>
> your heartsblood thieves, your killers,
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> your stunted ridiculous devils
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> O reader,with your dog-nose truth,
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> your yes, your gifts of mending fire
>
> you are the hope for us all.
>
> and upon our stricken heads,
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> the gracious rains fall.
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-- 
"Let's drink a toast now to who we really are."

           --Jane Siberry