A Great Poem 4

Hi there. Today's poem comes to us from the same prolific writer who wrote On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. That's right this poem is by the incredible Ocean Vuong. He has released multiple poetry collections, the most recent being Time Is a Mother. Pick up his book or poetry collections, if you get the chance; I think, you won't be disappointed! 

I selected the opening poem in Time Is a Mother, to share with you all!

Let's get to the poem!

This is:

The Bull - by Ocean Vuong

He stood alone in the backyard, so dark

the night purple around him.

I had no choice. I opened the door

&  stepped out. Wind

in the branches. He watched me with kerosene

-blue eyes. What do you want? I asked, forgetting I had

no language. He kept breathing,

to stay alive. I was a boy—

which meant I was a murderer

of my childhood. &  like all murders, my god

was stillness. My god, he was still

there. Like something prayed for

by a man with no mouth. The green-blue lamp

swirled in its socket. I didn't

want him. I didn't want him to

be beautiful— but needing beauty

to be more than hurt gentle

enough to want,  I

reached for him.  I reached—not the bull—

but the depths. Not an answer but

an entrance the shape of

an animal. Like me.

I remember reading this poem for the very first time. I was in the back of a bus, on my way home after splurging at chapters (poetry books are expensive :/ ). I opened the book and started right at the beginning where I found this absolute gem! I was so moved by the writing! 

Ocean has this incredible way of twisting sentences, creating this late-night atmosphere. When I read this I think of neon signs, fog, and dark alleyways. 

One example of this is "the night purpled around him". What a collection of words?! Or "not an answer but an entrance the shape of an animal", what does that mean? Is this a falling deeper into a path that you don't want? A search for self never to be concluded? There are so many ways of understanding every single line in this poem. 

This is what writing is all about! A plethora of right answers to an even greater amount of questions.