Two from Troy Jollimore

Big Frank has been reading Troy Jollimore's "Tom Thomson in Purgatory". He is a real poet and this collection of poems sings loud and true. Here are two:

Prologue: Tom Thompson in Perspective

Let's see . . . He was in love. How much? Oh, much,
and fairly often. More than once? For sure.
With what? A woman, often. The same one?
Sometimes and sometimes not. And with what else?
With life. His own? Yes, being the one he knew
up close, but not only; something in him
lifted above that close-hemmed-in horizon
to try and take in Life Itself, and love,
to the extent he could, that too. And did
that work? well, no - his powers were too puny.
but still, he tried. That has to count for something.

Yes, that seems only fair. Let's put him down, then,
as Honorable Failure and an Honest Attempt.
Yes, I can live with that. And him? He'll have to.


Tom Thompson Inhospitable

Love pays a visit. Just to check on him.
Drops by quite unannounced, unfolds a chair,
sits in the corner. Folded hands. Expectant.
He pours a cup of tea for love. Says nothing.
An awkward silence. What is he to say?
Remembers what she'd said. "Dear, of course
you are enough for me--it's just that--you know--
I'm never quite contented with enough"
But that was then. Yes, that was long ago,
before he oversteeped the tea, before
he learned to read the fine print. Now, he know.
He tries to look like he is doing fine.
But love, contrary to the common talk,
's not blind. Love, she's got X-ray specs for eyes.