Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BIRTHDAY, by JAMES HARRISON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BIRTHDAY, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The masques of dream - monk in his
Last Line: Thirty-ninth skin.
Alternate Author Name(s): Harrison, Jim
Subject(s): Aging; Birthdays


The masques of dream -- monk in his
lineage -- what does he wear to shield
himself? First shield made of a cloud,
second -- a tree, third -- a shadow; and
leading to the stretched coils of light
(how they want to gather us up
with our permission), three men.
Two dead tho' dead is supernumerary.
The cause is the effect.
He laughed like a lake would
but only once, never twice into the same
mystery. Not ever to stop but only
to drop the baggage, to shed the
thirty-ninth skin.





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