A painting of an old WWII bomber
Reminds me of my harried date
I'd pulled out an ancient family photo
Of my grandfather, the reconnaissance pilot,
In front of his plane
That bore my grandmother's image
He was in such a rush
He, a pilot, did not want to see
Seeing the pain in my face
He braced himself and
Made a comment
It was men with pistols back then
Eye to eye
Not like now
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3 comments:
This poem in evocative, but I confess I don't quite get it. I think it would be worthwhile to add in a bit more...
I guess the pain on your face blinded him to what you actually wanted him to see.
Is there some sort of betrayal being referenced here, in your pain and the discussion of a duel? I'm not even sure who might have done the betraying -- you're in pain, so it must have been him. But he's talking about a duel, so it must have been you.
The storyline is intriguing, the counterpoint of interest. I'd like to see another version.
Thanks for your comment. I'll re-open the poem.
I've read this poem several times since, and I think I figured it out. I misunderstood the "I'd pulled out." I thought you had subtly hung it up somewhere and then were annoyed when the guy didn't notice it.
Now, I'm convinced that you probably pulled out the photo and handed it to your date, who said something quick and inane and handed it back to you.
When he noticed your hurt expression over his callous disregard, he realized a Do Over was required, so he took it back and racked his brain for something to say. What he came up with was a historical comment on how warfare has changed since then. Your grandfather spied out the land, preparing the way for soldiers to go in and engage in hand to hand combat. Now, we favor the precision bombs dropped from a distance.
Sorry for the sloppy interpretation earlier! I think *I* was "too rushed to see."
I don't think you need to change anything substantive. Possibly revise "pulled out" to "handed him," but even that is not crucial.
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