Monday, October 5, 2009

Doppelganger

I think that somewhere, perhaps,
against all odds, as astronomical
as a metallic man in Vegas
giving me pocket change,

my double, a ghost
in a three-piece suit,
follows me as fastidiously as a butler.
I glimpse him from the corner of my eye,

and he is briefly there,
picking up paper I dropped
or making excuses for a clumsy run-in
I had with a pedestrian.

In short, he is picking up my mess,
the inevitable dregs fallen from my life
like scales fallen from the skin of Adam.
if I turn my head sharply,

looking long and hard,
he disappears. But that is the way it is, I suppose,
when one tries to glimpse
the minions of God.

11 comments:

Lana Gramlich said...

Funky poem! Charles & I have a theory that there are large groups of "look-alikes." Perhaps not EXACTLY, but generalized groupings.
FYI, if you're interested, I'm going to be displaying during Arts Evening in Slidell again this year. Would love to meet you in person. :)

WH said...

I shall indeed meet the Gramliches one of these days, Lana ... or else my double will stand in!!!

SandyCarlson said...

Ah, that butler. That straightener outer of our reality. Our other self. Our self. Haven't been here in a while, Billy. I am glad you are around.

Marja said...

How great to enjoy your poetry again Billy. Nice to see you back.
I am low key blogging at the moment because I am busy but I miss writing. I am not as good as you though so it takes me some time to produce something. Having read this again I will get back into it.

Casdok said...

Very clever.
A double would be very useful sometimes!

Lane Mathias said...

What a great idea.

I love the thought of a doppleganger being just out of sight and way smarter.

I wonder if a fastidious person would have a sloppy doppelganger - just to loosen things up a bit?:-)

Marja said...

MY comment didn't came through I see so I will try again. Hi Billy Great to see you again and to read your magnificent poem Missed you. Doppelganger sounds very german or is it english as well?

Crafty Green Poet said...

Interesting ideas about doppelanfgers in this poem. i have a doppelganger and also there's another poet in my town with the same name as me.....

WH said...

Sandy, I hope *somebody* is around to straighten up the mess :)

Marja, thanks for stopping by. Obviously , I have been low-key blogging as well. I think the term is German.

Casdok, someone should start a business so we CAN rent one.

Lane, a sloppy doppleganger. Cool idea. Reality with rough edges. :)

Juliet, some people swear that they're there. Who is to say their not in this quantum reality?

Geraldine said...

This is one of my favorites of your poems to date Billy. Really, really engaging. He's there, and then he's not...

WH said...

Geraldine, thank you!