Adonis Diaries

A few poems by Marlene Monroe

Here are five particularly poignant fragments from the book.

On travelling by bus to Salinas:
I was the only person
woman with about
sixty Italian fisherman…such charming gentleman…
and (they hoped) fish were
waiting for them. Some
could hardly speak English
not only do I love Greeks
(illegible) I love Italians.
they’re warm, lusty and friendly as hell—I’d love to go to
Italy someday

On sailors:
I saw a lot of lonely young
sailors who/ they looked too
young to be so sad. They reminded me of
young slender trees still growing & painful

On trees:
Sad sweet trees—
I wish for you—rest
but you must be wakeful

On love:
My love sleeps besides me—
in the faint light…
but he will look like this when he is dead
oh unbearable fact inevitable
yet sooner would I rather his love die
than/ or him?

And marriage:
I guess I have always been
deeply terrified to really be someone’s
wife
since I know from life
one cannot love another,
ever, really