Is there a hyphen in goodbye (good-bye)?
I’m never sure
I want there to be-
It’s the greedy kind of wanting for a bridge, a “you
Can kiss me”, a rope
From the bow to the dock, a clasp
To hold back a wandering earring
You can fold me a paper boat - even though
I’m too tired to row
You can weave me a hollow
basket - that will hold water I will not swallow
You can pick me seven golden daffodils all
Shining in the sun - my arms
Will be two leaden limbs at my side
Birdhouses make me happy-
For a fledgling season anyway
You can machete me a watermelon and
Feed me the melancholy flesh-
After a few pink nibbles, I will
Spit out the black futurists,
Crawl into my waterproof basket, and float away
Under the bridge without a rope
After we kiss and I can’t find my earring
No - he says-
there’s no hyphen in goodbye
But couldn’t I insert one if it were a compound adjective before a noun?
Isn’t that the rule? If so, then-
Will you really agree to be my good-bye lover?
There would always be a bridge, a bowline, a birdhouse, and a fistful of daffodils-
Waiting.
If so, then–
Hello.
It’s so good of you to come by.
7 comments:
emily dickinson liked 'em (hyphens, that is),and that's good enough for me! x
Just wanted to tell you that I love this poem! It made me smile even through the melancholy ;)
I always love your poems, so deep and reflective...
Such responsibility that little hyphen bears!
you are gifted
thanks ya'll....
having just read a goodbye Marina post, this was tough to follow up with. such an amazing poem. I love reading your writing, it echoes in my head still.
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