# days by Unknown — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

# days one two three four freckles on your left clavicle connect the dots with my middle finger trace to your midline eyes north one shoulder off the sheet catch my hand exhale --- both shoes on on the edge of the bed for two minutes in two different blues tell me I'll miss you cover the longbows in fret wire turn the fruit from rotten leave your earrings behind not to see me again you just forget --- three miles off the blue ridge parkway ninety-three million to the sun disc to point to gone turn your cheeks no longer red drop my hand left my coat in the car --- you bend at your waist pick a four-leaf clover : my dad said I was lucky : only after dark after milagro your palms against my chest pull when I recoil enough night lights for a shadow sticker on the mirror ripped away to paper I pack starbursts cherry and lemon — a turtle from the coloring book all in a lump under your pillow it's enough to take your keys back --- ART that night again not that night keep my head still watch the LEDs bounce splice the tape actors jump the celluloid abrade the faces choke on the chalkdust your outline still on the board a brush steeps in the can fat strokes drop pepper on the sambas you bought me another coat three : you have to forgive yourself : I can't deliver at five months --- Lucy you step behind the wall dosimeter pinned to your breast pocket exposing me where did you go I spin the dial clockwise six different voices in a second static interleaved like a child's fingers crossed in prayer we lay on the artificial turf making grass angels until the rotation blocks the sun with a tether ball pole pull the aloe from under the sink freeze your palms thaw them an inch from my skin slather me --- existing on my manifold the Planck length of my skin the air compressing between a picked string and my ear a nerve from fingertip to cortex the moment language becomes dream the pink back of my eyelids in the dawn you are my border my limit --- leaving the angel in the valley I trod the mountaintop laughter following in silence the ligatures heavy across one shoulder I lay my creation on the broad stone bind him by my will to my will his pleas skid off my drums the sun in a drop of sweat trickling down my raised blade slick thud of steel between ribs ink floods the altar pours over the gutters and stains the dust mingling with puddled vomit I wrap the heart in oiled leather --- Will the ground holds the rain what falls the sea pulls back to itself drawing mountain streams comets leave no craters in oceans salt drains from the boy the tide pools in his lungs --- single file to the grasshopper's carcass lift the glass the sun in a point wisps of chitin of skin God damn it --- raiments of seven colors for the emperor's delusion arbiter — instrument of coin and queen equal to none opposite to all --- not my north nor my home but the fold in the map not candle but rust or moon but preserved tread not country or soil but scraping from under fingernails not vapor melting glue not envelope or epistle but teakettle whistle --- pacing from Alexandria the rocks pierce my sole through a worn leather sandal the solstice in Syene I shiver in the black water your noon light fills my well burns my face --- snipped the black ring from my ankle I called you kneeling in the walk-in closet t-shirts on old drycleaning hangers brushing against my back head knocking into the corner you printed my prayers on thermal receipt paper shoved them in a drawer behind an empty film canister held the bottle upside down smashed it on the corner of the fake granite hotel desk the neck tearing jagged red lines in the sheets don't worry about the deposit you didn't pay it --- wipe the dew off the seat pink east shifting clouds black to white squint before I pull the shades from the fanny pack downshift before the motor turns lock up at the Y hop on pump legs spent haven't moved an inch --- I thought dreaming you to open my eyes and did so sighing in blind light and turned kissing your closed eyes --- pop your eyelashes one nipple a sunrise above the comforter your Kali hands tracers of figure eights : will you do me a favor? pack me one more parachute : I won't let you fall --- : go play in the lightning a little longer : never let me win king of the mountain skin red clay grains of sand cling to my scalp for a week read me to sleep with tracts that look like twenties from a distance yawning I'm Peter flying before hills of burnt gold thirsty I creep to the green plastic cup beside the sink swallow three dead flies in the bottom before I realize wake me up before sunrise : the time changed : --- Puppets out of the pool showering in bathing suits water flooding the weeds between the stone tiles pinky up orthogonal to the rest my dog tries to bite the quarter off the ground it slips between shadow teeth twisting over me thumbs interlocked your bird flapping against the pup's wet nose I sneeze autocorrect tried to change shadow to affair

Translation (English)

one two three four freckles on your left collarbone connect the dots with my middle finger trace to your center line eyes look north one shoulder uncovered catch my hand breathe out --- both shoes on sitting on the edge of the bed for two minutes in two different shades of blue tell me I'll miss you cover the guitar strings with fret wire turn the rotten fruit fresh leave your earrings behind not to see me again you just forget --- three miles from the blue ridge parkway ninety-three million miles to the sun disc to point to gone turn your cheeks are no longer red drop my hand left my coat in the car --- you bend down pick a four-leaf clover : my dad said I was lucky : only after dark after the miracle your hands on my chest pull when I pull back enough night lights for a shadow sticker on the mirror ripped away to paper I pack starbursts cherry and lemon — a turtle from the coloring book all in a lump under your pillow it's enough to take your keys back --- ART that night again not that night keep my head still watch the LEDs bounce splice the tape actors jump the film abrade the faces choke on the chalkdust your outline still on the board a brush sits in the can fat strokes drop pepper on the shoes you bought me another coat three : you have to forgive yourself : I can't deliver at five months --- Lucy you step behind the wall dosimeter pinned to your breast pocket exposing me where did you go I turn the dial clockwise six different voices in a second static mixed like a child's fingers crossed in prayer we lay on the fake grass making grass angels until the rotation blocks the sun with a tether ball pole pull the aloe from under the sink freeze your hands warm them an inch from my skin cover me --- existing on my manifold the smallest length of my skin the air compressing between a picked string and my ear a nerve from fingertip to brain the moment language becomes dream the pink back of my eyelids in the dawn you are my border my limit --- leaving the angel in the valley I walked the mountaintop laughter following in silence the ties heavy across one shoulder I lay my creation on the broad stone bind him by my will to my will his pleas bounce off my ears the sun in a drop of sweat trickling down my raised blade slick thud of steel between ribs ink floods the altar pours over the gutters and stains the dust mingling with puddled vomit I wrap the heart in oiled leather --- Will the ground holds the rain what falls the sea pulls back to itself drawing mountain streams comets leave no craters in oceans salt drains from the boy the tide pools in his lungs --- single file to the grasshopper's body lift the glass the sun in a point wisps of shell of skin God damn it --- clothes of seven colors for the emperor's illusion judge — instrument of money and queen equal to none opposite to all --- not my north nor my home but the fold in the map not candle but rust or moon but preserved tread not country or soil but scraping from under fingernails not vapor melting glue not envelope or letter but teakettle whistle --- walking from Alexandria the rocks pierce my sole through a worn leather sandal the solstice in Syene I shiver in the black water your noon light fills my well burns my face --- cut the black ring from my ankle I called you kneeling in the walk-in closet t-shirts on old drycleaning hangers brushing against my back head knocking into the corner you printed my prayers on thermal receipt paper shoved them in a drawer behind an empty film canister held the bottle upside down smashed it on the corner of the fake granite hotel desk the neck tearing jagged red lines in the sheets don't worry about the deposit you didn't pay it --- wipe the dew off the seat pink east shifting clouds black to white squint before I pull the shades from the fanny pack downshift before the motor turns lock up at the Y hop on pump legs spent haven't moved an inch --- I thought dreaming you to open my eyes and did so sighing in blind light and turned kissing your closed eyes --- pop your eyelashes one nipple a sunrise above the comforter your Kali hands tracers of figure eights : will you do me a favor? pack me one more parachute : I won't let you fall --- : go play in the lightning a little longer : never let me win king of the mountain skin red clay grains of sand cling to my scalp for a week read me to sleep with tracts that look like twenties from a distance yawning I'm Peter flying before hills of burnt gold thirsty I creep to the green plastic cup beside the sink swallow three dead flies in the bottom before I realize wake me up before sunrise : the time changed : --- Puppets out of the pool showering in bathing suits water flooding the weeds between the stone tiles pinky up orthogonal to the rest my dog tries to bite the quarter off the ground it slips between shadow teeth twisting over me thumbs interlocked your bird flapping against the pup's wet nose I sneeze autocorrect tried to change shadow to affair

About the Poet

Unknown (Modern)

The poet of this piece is unknown, and it appears to be a contemporary work. The poem's style and themes suggest it belongs to the modern era of poetry, characterized by free verse and personal, introspective themes.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: Contemporary
Background: The poem seems to explore themes of love, memory, and personal reflection. It uses vivid imagery and fragmented narrative to convey emotions and moments in time.

Sources: https://hellopoetry.com/words/freckles/, https://allpoetry.com/poems/about/freckles

Detailed Explanation

This poem, titled 'days', is a rich tapestry of imagery and emotion, weaving together moments of intimacy, reflection, and existential musings. The poem is structured in a free verse format, allowing the poet to explore themes without the constraints of rhyme or meter. The opening section uses the metaphor of connecting freckles to explore physical intimacy and connection. As the poem progresses, it delves into themes of memory and loss, with references to leaving behind earrings and forgetting, suggesting a transient relationship. The imagery of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the sun's distance evokes a sense of vastness and separation. The poem also touches on themes of luck and fate, with the mention of a four-leaf clover and a father's words. The section titled 'ART' reflects on creativity and self-forgiveness, while 'Lucy' introduces a personal narrative of exposure and vulnerability. The poem's language is rich with sensory details, such as the feel of aloe on skin and the sound of a teakettle whistle, grounding abstract emotions in tangible experiences. The poem concludes with reflections on identity and existence, using metaphors of borders and limits to express the complexity of self and relationships. Overall, 'days' is a poignant exploration of human connection, memory, and the passage of time.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
clavicle	collarbone	the bone connecting the shoulder to the breastbone	klav-i-kuhl
freckles	small brown spots	small brownish spots on the skin, often from sun exposure	frek-uhls
midline	center line	the imaginary line dividing the body into equal right and left halves	mid-lahyn
fret	ridge on guitar	a raised element on the neck of a stringed instrument that helps in changing pitch	fret
milagro	miracle	a Spanish word meaning 'miracle', often used in religious or cultural contexts	mee-lah-groh
splice	join together	to join or connect by interweaving strands	splahys
celluloid	film material	a type of plastic used to make film for movies	sel-yuh-loid
abrade	wear away	to scrape or wear away by friction	uh-breyd
dosimeter	radiation measuring device	a device used to measure an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation	doh-sim-i-ter
manifold	many or varied	having many different forms or elements	man-i-fohld
Planck length	smallest length	the smallest measurable length in physics, named after Max Planck	plangk length
ligatures	ties or bindings	something used to bind or tie	lig-uh-choors
trod	walked	past tense of 'tread', meaning to walk or step	trod
solstice	longest or shortest day	either of the two times in the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator	sol-stis
teakettle	kettle for boiling water	a kettle used for boiling water, often with a whistle	tee-ket-l
epistle	letter	a letter or written communication, often formal	ih-pis-uhl
raiments	clothing	clothing, especially fine or decorative garments	rey-muhnts
arbiter	judge	a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter	ahr-bi-ter
orthogonal	right angle	relating to or involving right angles; perpendicular	awr-thog-uh-nl
chitin	hard substance	a tough, protective polysaccharide forming the exoskeleton of arthropods	kahy-tin
comets	icy celestial bodies	celestial objects consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust	kom-its
tether	tie or fasten	a rope or chain used to tie an animal to a post	teth-er
autocorrect	automatic correction	a software feature that automatically corrects spelling errors	aw-toh-kuh-rekt