We’re sat opposite each other. She’s drowning milky foam into her coffee. I’m telling her about this poem, has this imperturbable street. She looks up from her coffee. Stares at me. Yeah, imperturbable. What does it mean, she says. I admit I didn’t know either, so I knocked bits off the word, first “im”, then “able” … like those archeologists picking at bones in that plague pit in London. They learn lots picking at bones. If it’s a man. A woman. Childbirth from a pelvis. Fused skull. Scars on bones. So anyway, I’m picking bits off that word, ended up with “perturb”. Figured it was an annoying street. Turns out it’s not that at all. It means relaxed, calm. The foam’s disappeared into her coffee – she takes a sip and says, I don’t really like poetry. I reply, we all go in different directions.
dVerse Prosery: 144 words including the phrase “We go in different directions down the imperturbable street,” from the poem “An Aspect of Love, Alive in the Ice and Fire.” by Gwendolyn Brook. ©️ Misky 2020
8 responses to “dVerse Prosery”
I didn’t know what imperturbable meant either, or rather suspected my guess was wrong.
LikeLike
❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
You were the inadvertent cause of much perturbation in our household this morning. I loved your annoying street, having been on quite a few without knowing it, and I read the piece to Jim while we were having breakfast. Long story short, we were well into internecine when the Kroger delivery arrived half an hour ago.
LikeLike
Bad timing on the part of that delivery person, interrupting your internecking.
LikeLike
Loved it Misky.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry to cause you such distress. But your piece made me laugh–and you learned a new word. 😏 For the future, for prosery prompts, you’re supposed to use the exact line.
LikeLike
I don’t do autobiographical, therefore no distress involved.
LikeLiked by 1 person