AFTER MAYAKOVKSY by Denis JohnsonIt's after one. You're probably alone.All night the moon rings like a telephonein an empty booth above our separateness.Now is the hour one answers. I am home.Hello, my heart, my God, my President,my darling: I'm alarmed by the alarmclock's iridescent face, hung like a charmfrom darkness's fat ear. This accidentthat was my life will have its witnesses:now, while the world lies wholly motionlessand sorry in a crapulence of stars,now is the hour one rises to addres
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In Denis Johnson's poem "After Mayakovsky," the late-night atmosphere evokes a sense of solitude and connection with the universe. The speaker acknowledges their isolation while simultaneously reflecting on the surreal beauty of the world around them. The imagery of the moon resembling a telephone ringing in an empty booth emphasizes the longing for communication in a seemingly disconnected reality.
The speaker expresses an intimate connection with their emotions and the weight of existence through personification and vivid descriptions. As the stars hang heavily in the sky, the speaker contemplates the significance of their life and the inevitable witnesses to their experiences. This moment of introspection reveals a desire for clarity and understanding in the midst of darkness and confusion.
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