In your ears my song
is motor car misfiring
stopping with a choking cough;
and you laughed and laughed and laughed.
These lines suggest that the person’s song or expression is perceived as flawed or imperfect, causing amusement to the listener. Despite the imperfections, the listener finds amusement in the situation, finding humor in the unexpected and unconventional.
In your eyes my ante-
natal walk was inhuman, passing
your ‘omnivorous understanding’
and you laughed and laughed and laughed
These lines describe a situation where the person’s behavior or actions are perceived as strange or beyond comprehension by the observer. The observer finds it amusing and responds with laughter. It highlights the disconnect between the two individuals and the amusement derived from the perceived absurdity of the situation.
You laughed at my song,
you laughed at my walk. Then I danced my magic dance
to the rhythm of talking drums pleading, but you shut your eyes
and laughed and laughed and laughed
These lines suggest that despite the person’s efforts to express themselves through their song and dance, the listener continues to dismiss and ridicule them. The person’s plea for understanding is met with indifference, as the listener chooses to close their eyes and laugh instead. It reflects a sense of frustration and disappointment in the lack of empathy and recognition for their artistic expression.
And then I opened my mystic
inside wide like the sky,
instead you entered your
car and laughed and laughed and laughed
These lines describe a situation where the person opens up their inner self, revealing their deep thoughts and emotions, but the listener doesn’t take it seriously. Instead, they choose to distance themselves by entering their car and continue laughing, disregarding the person’s vulnerability. It conveys a sense of disappointment and perhaps a lack of connection between the two individuals.
You laughed at my dance,
you laughed at my inside.
You laughed and laughed and laughed.
These lines highlight the hurtful behavior of the listener, who continuously mocks and ridicules the person’s dance and inner self. The repetition of laughter emphasizes the insensitivity and lack of empathy shown by the listener. It suggests a sense of rejection and the pain caused by being laughed at for expressing oneself authentically.
But your laughter was ice-block
laughter and it froze your inside froze
your voice froze your ears
froze your eyes and froze your tongue.
These lines emphasize the impact of the listener’s laughter, suggesting that it had a paralyzing effect on them. The use of “ice-block” imagery implies that the laughter was cold, heartless, and emotionally freezing, rendering the listener unable to respond or empathize. It highlights the negative consequences of their laughter and the emotional distance it creates between the two individuals.
And now it’s my turn to laugh;
but my laughter is not
ice-block laughter. For I
know not cars, know not ice-blocks.
These lines describe the speaker’s response to the listener’s laughter. The speaker asserts that their laughter is different from the cold and heartless laughter of the listener. They imply that their laughter is genuine and unaffected by the negative influences of cars and ice-blocks. It suggests a sense of authenticity and a refusal to be influenced by the insensitivity of others.
My laughter is the fire
of the eye of the sky, the fire
of the earth, the fire of the air,
the fie of the seas and the
rivers fishes animals trees
and it thawed your inside,
thawed your voice, thawed your
ears, thawed your eyes and
thawed your tongue.
These lines describe the powerful and transformative nature of the speaker’s laughter. They compare their laughter to the elemental forces of nature, symbolizing its warmth and ability to melt the listener’s frozen state. It suggests that the speaker’s laughter has the power to bring about a change in the listener, thawing their emotions and breaking through their indifference.
So a meek wonder held
your shadow and you whispered;
‘Why so?’
And I answered:
‘Because my fathers and I
are owned by the living
warmth of the earth
through our naked feet.’
These lines highlight the speaker’s connection to their ancestors and the grounding influence of their heritage. They suggest that the speaker and their fathers have a deep bond with the earth, symbolized by the warmth felt through their bare feet. It implies a sense of rootedness and belonging, emphasizing the importance of their connection to nature and their ancestors.
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