She Has Not Dreamt by Jared Angira
She has not dreamt
my father
and one can to wedlock mat guide her,
the papyrus mat whistles silence
the cold drives the dagger
across her breast
and the archaeologists
wrestle her bones…
I enter the pier
where lie some wrecks
of ships of the past
uncoated, nude, lone
teeth protrude
like carcasses
the vultures left
when they left in a hurry.
Pebbles of broken pots
after regeneration
wrap to knees
what I excavate.
An overseer,
contrast to science
whips my bony back-
I drowse, faint and rise
to the lash…
SHE DENIES EVER
DREAMING MY FATHER.
She wears his clothes
In the mergence of rays
a siren howls
for me to storm the sea of solitude
a boulder roll from the top
of Mount of Life
knocks my ankle...
the venereal that eats
my salad potency
a wind whispers goodbye
to the Three Stones
around my being
a father in my chapel
four times pardons his chest
Hail Mary, Queen of Grace.
In escaping
crusts of salt
fall on my ankle wound
the cause of my suicide
the twain... the twain
what of the orbits
of those scattered stars
and satellite moons?
She stands aloof
AND DENIES
EVER DREAMING MY FATHER,
Conjugation banned
by established authority
...no more lollipop
on population expansion
and the howdah is nationalized
(or traditionalized?)
her stalactite heart is in pain
from a septic ulcer
She stands on laru
a green stanchion.
I question the turn
'Oppidans unwanted"
Never been to town
still 'Oppidans unwanted'
and she insists of never
KNOWING MY FATHER.
Walking across the limbo
the very grave
I fail to identify
believable?
All graves look alike
where in silent quietness we laid him
I fail to identify
Believable?
All graves look alike
With frowning daisies
My mother, closes her mouth
and laughs at me
the cave of her mouth
is dark and rusty
Stanza by Stanza Analysis of "She Has Not Dreamt" by Jared Angira
The poem "She Has Not Dreams" by Jared Angira explores themes of loss, family, memory, and identity. The poem is divided into several stanzas, each containing different images and ideas.
In the first stanza, the speaker describes a woman who has never dreamt of his father. The woman is guided by a mat, and the cold is described as driving a dagger across her breast. The archaeologists wrestling her bones suggest a sense of violence and intrusion. The speaker enters a pier where old ships lie as wrecks, and broken pots wrap around his knees. The overseer whips his back, causing him to drowse and faint.
The second stanza contains images of a woman wearing his father's clothes, and the speaker hearing a siren's call to storm the sea of solitude. A boulder knocks his ankle, and a wind whispers goodbye to the Three Stones. The speaker then reflects on the pain caused by venereal disease and the struggle to escape from it.
In the third stanza, the speaker describes a world where conjugation is banned by established authority, and the howdah is nationalized. The woman's stalactite heart is in pain from a septic ulcer, and she stands on a green stanchion. The speaker questions the turn of events, and the woman denies ever knowing his father.
In the final stanza, the speaker walks across a limbo and fails to identify his father's grave. His mother laughs at him, and her mouth is described as dark and rusty.
The poem uses vivid and often unsettling images to convey a sense of loss and disconnection. The repetition of the phrase "She denies ever dreaming my father" emphasizes the speaker's sense of estrangement from his family and his struggle to come to terms with his father's absence. The poem also touches on broader themes of societal change and the erosion of traditional values. Overall, "She Has Not Dreams" is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of identity and memory
Themes in "She Has Not Dreamt" by Jared Angira
The poem "She Has Not Dreams" by Jared Angira explores several themes, including family, identity, memory, loss, and cultural conflict. The speaker of the poem appears to be searching for a sense of connection and belonging to his father, who seems to be absent or unknown to him. The first stanza suggests that the speaker's father is no longer alive and that his bones are being excavated by archaeologists. The speaker enters a pier where old ships lie wrecked, possibly symbolizing the decay and loss of the past.
The second stanza describes the speaker's struggle to come to terms with his father's absence. He sees a siren calling him to "storm the sea of solitude," but his progress is impeded by a boulder that knocks his ankle and a venereal disease that threatens his potency. The speaker also seeks solace in religion, with his father pardoning his chest and the Hail Mary prayer.
The third stanza suggests a cultural conflict or tension. The speaker mentions a ban on "conjugation" and a nationalization or traditionalization of the "howdah," which is a type of saddle. This could refer to societal or political changes that are affecting the speaker's sense of identity and belonging.
The fourth stanza returns to the theme of loss and the speaker's struggle to connect with his father. He walks across a graveyard but fails to identify his father's grave, which causes his mother to laugh at him. This could symbolize the difficulty of finding a sense of closure or resolution in the face of loss and uncertainty.
Overall, the poem explores complex themes of family, identity, loss, and cultural conflict through vivid and evocative imagery.
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