ReadWritePoem Prompt: Smoke a Dubie

Poem Starting with a Line from Norman Dubie

The lights of the galaxies
are strung out over a dipper of gin.
Those were the words
spoken
seconds before the nurse
with a worried look
disturbing her otherwise
perfect face
attached the electrodes.

I assured her
I was just quoting
a Dubie.

I may not have
enunciated
clearly.

She drew my blood.

***
Below is a revision of a poem I wrote five years ago. The revision was inspired when I heard a reference today to Pope Benedict as the Nazi Pope. Here’s the original, if you are curious as to the extent of the revision.

Attacks on Joey

Some might see dark irony
in the white smoke that rose
on the 62nd anniversary
of the Warsaw Ghetto Rebellion.

However, Benedict,
when he was Joey
avoided Hitler’s service
until it was join or go
to a concentration camp.

And at the age of 17
Joey risked his life
through desertion.

I prefer to attack him
for his many actions
as an adult,
for as a kid,
Joey did more than I
may have had the courage to do.