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Best Poems From
ABBI VAN DEN BERG
(6 November 1980)
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1.
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24
Today its all black and white
the shades of grey come with experience
You dont believe me
because you are 18 and
safe in the knowledge
that you have mastered everything that you will ever need to know
you look at me, with what youre convinced
is wisdom
because I am confused and sad
and I cant quite decide
You say I need to grow up
and you are shocked that
you can offer me your
platitudes and advice
and smug
smug that when you are 24
you will never feel desperately alone
that the solutions will be clear
that you will
never
have to listen to the musings
of a semi-adolescent
in order to gain perspective
And you just might be right
because you are a
man
and you are 18
But my sweet, sweet boy
the shades of grey come with experience
and you are intent on experiencing
nothing
And when you are 24
you may still be safe
in your newsprint zebra world
observing but never
connecting
And then I will be
smug
because is their anything more beautiful
than a grey sky
with just a hint of sun slicing through the
clouds?
Abbi van den Berg
Read more: believe poems, today poems, sad poems, beautiful poems, alone poems, sky poems, sun poems, world poems
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2.
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Aspartame
Switch off the saccharine
because your sweetness
leaves me nauseated
and retching
clutching for a bucket
at the side of my bed
While your adoration
makes me reel drunkenly
stretching for a hold
on something solid
Because your words shimmer through
my fingers
like vapor
I can't be bothered to appreciate
your sentiment
because it is the sediment in my red wine
Leave me
burnt, bitter, black
Abbi van den Berg
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3.
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Cheddar Tuesday
Grate, grate, grate
My heart slides over the finger-top, dimpled metal plates
Shavings of flesh squeeze, bloody
Through the sharp curves
I gave you a small, stilly shiny-smooth corner of my soul
Not criss-cross kelloid with the past
To caretake
And you force it
Grate, grate, grate
Through the serrated surfaces
With your pointed words
And leave me oozing
Damaged
Grate, grate, grate
Another scar, another surface
Open to salt
Open to burn
Open over you
Grate, grate, grate
15/06/2006
Abbi van den Berg
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4.
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Monkeys
I built a wall one day
or maybe it was more like a cage
I may have put the bricks up alone
but you provided the mortar
All of you helped me
and now Im not so
sure about this wall
its the fortress of my sanity
but it keeps me from you
We are like two monkeys
separated by our bars
trying to reach one another
metal grinding on metal
shooting out sparks but not starting a fire
Abbi van den Berg
Read more: fire poems, alone poems
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