Author: Nick Flynn
Quotes of Author: Nick Flynn
But what of Ham? It didn't matter if he told anyone about his drunken father or not, if he chided him or tried to dress him, if he lifted his struggling body back into bed, if he took his hand and told him where to place his feet, none of this changed the fact of what he'd seen. It's possible he opened a door innocently, followed the sound of Noah's voice cursing God and the sky, possible he didn't even look, that he turned away before seeing. And it's likely that Noah hadn't noticed the door opening, couldn't have told you who had come in, which son, wouldn't remember anyway. Apparently it's God's call. Ham saw his father drunken and naked, and for this he was cursed, and all of his offspring, and the races that led from these offspring, accursed forever. book-quotefatherYou do know, right,that between the no-longer & the still-to-comeyou are being continuallytattooed, inkedwith the skulls ofeveryoneyou've ever loved-the you& the you& the you & the you-you don'tsit in a chair, thumbthrough a binder, pick adesign, it simplyhappens each time youbring your fingers to your faceto inhale him back into you . . .tiny skulls, some of us arecovered. You, love, couldsimply tattoo an opendoor, lightpouring in from somewhereoutside, youcould make your body a doorso it appears yo tattoopoemEmptying Town"I want to erase your footprintsfrom my walls. Each pillowis thick with your reasons. Omensfill the sidewalk below my window: a womanin a party hat, clingingto a tin-foil balloon. Shadowscreep slowly across the tar, someone yells, "Stop!"and I close my eyes. I can't watchas this town slowly empties, leaving mestrung between bon-voyages, like so many clotheson a line, the white handkerchiefstuck in my throat. You know the way Jesusrips open his shirtto show us his heart, all flaming and thorny,the way he points to it. I'm afraidthe way I'll miss you will be this obvious.I have a friend who everyone warns meis dangerous, he hidesbloody images of Jesusaround my house, for me to findwhen I come home; Jesusbehind the cupboard door, Jesus tuckedinto the mirror. He wants to save mebut we disagree from what. My version of hellis someone ripping open his shirtand saying, Look what I did for you. book-quote