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By the River: Two Poems by Bing Li

‘I told, my dear, I was living living living in the river. / I told, her then, I was dying dying dying not to shiver.’

By Bing Li
Poetry | grief, past, sorrow
May 31, 2016

 

Retrospective

 

Muffin brain,
when did
desire turn to
grief I want
to say we carried
our tears
like ruffians that
summer
by the river of
which we lacked
nothing
essential turnips
sugar ovens
concupiscent oh
Muffin brain

when did we
lose it?

 

 

 

 

Lyrics

 

I gave, my dear, my sorrow sorrow sorrow sorrow songs.
I gave, her then, all my tomorrow ‘morrow ‘morrow ‘morrow wrongs.

She asked, my dear, how did you lasso lasso lasso all those years?
She asked, her then, how did you carry carry carry all my fears?

I told, my dear, I was living living living in the river.
I told, her then, I was dying dying dying not to shiver.

She took, my dear, my sorrow sorrow sorrow sorrow songs.
She took, her then, all my tomorrow ‘morrow ‘morrow ‘morrow wrongs.