Skin Cancer By Mark Jarman - Giggle Poems

Original Poem：

Balmy overcast nights of late September;
Palms standing out in street light, house light;
Full moon penetrating the cloud-film
With an explosive halo, a ring almost half the sky;
Air like a towel draped over shoulders;
Lightness or gravity deferred like a moral question;
The incense in the house lit; the young people
Moving from the front door into the half-dark
And back, or up the stairs to glimpse the lovers’ shoes
Outside the master bedroom; the youngest speculating;
The taste of beer, familiar as salt water;
Each window holding a sea view, charcoal
With shifting bars of white; the fog filling in
Like the haze of distance itself, pushing close, blurring.
As if the passage into life were through such houses,
Surrounded by some version of ocean weather,
Lit beads of fog or wind so stripped it burns the throat;
Mildew-spreading, spray-laden breezes and the beach sun
Making each grain of stucco cast a shadow;
An ideal landscape sheared of its nostalgia;
S. with his black hair, buck teeth, unsunned skin,
Joking and disappearing; F. doing exactly the same
But dying, a corkscrew motion through green water;
And C. not looking back from the car door,
Reappearing beside the East River, rich, owned, smiling at last.
Swains. and nymphs. And news that came with the sea damp,
Of steady pipe-corrosions, black corners,
Moisture working through sand lots, through slab floors,
Slowly, with chemical, with molecular intricacy,
Then, bursting alive: the shrieked confessions
Of the wild parents; the cliff collapse; the kidnap;
The cache of photos; the letter; the weapon; the haunted dream;
The sudden close-up of the loved one’s degradation.
Weather a part of it all, permeating and sanctifying,
Infiltrating and destroying; the sun disc,
Cool behind the veil of afternoon cloud,
With sun spots like flies crawling across it;
The slow empurpling of skin all summer;
The glorious learned flesh and the rich pallor
Of the untouched places in the first nakedness;
The working of the lesion now in late life,
Soon to be known by the body, even the one
Enduring the bareness of the inland plains,
The cold fronts out of Canada, a sickness
For home that feels no different from health.

Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem

This poem vividly captures the atmosphere of late September nights, blending nature, human experience, and memory into a rich tapestry of imagery and emotion. The opening lines describe a balmy, overcast evening with palms illuminated by street and house lights, and a full moon breaking through clouds with a dramatic halo. This sets a mysterious, almost magical mood.

The poet uses metaphorical language to evoke a feeling of uncertainty and transition—"lightness or gravity deferred like a moral question" suggests a suspended moment, a hesitation between choices or states. The incense burning and the young people moving through half-darkness hint at youthful curiosity, intimacy, and the passage from innocence to experience.

The imagery of the sea view through charcoal windows and fog pushing close symbolizes the blurred boundaries between past and present, reality and memory. The poem reflects on the passage into life, surrounded by ocean weather that is both beautiful and harsh—fog, wind that burns, mildew, and spray. This natural environment mirrors the complexities of human existence.

Characters like S., F., and C. appear as symbolic figures representing different fates—youthful energy, tragic death, and eventual success or acceptance. The poem also touches on darker themes: family secrets, violence, degradation, and the inevitable decay of the body over time.

The closing lines contemplate aging and mortality, comparing the body's slow decline to the relentless forces of nature, such as cold fronts from Canada. The poem ends on a poignant note, suggesting that the longing for home and health are intertwined and inseparable.

Background and Author Introduction

This poem likely comes from a contemporary poet known for their evocative imagery and deep psychological insight. The detailed descriptions of nature and human life suggest an author who is attentive to both external landscapes and internal emotional states.

The poem’s themes of youth, memory, decay, and nature are common in modern poetry, reflecting concerns about identity, mortality, and the passage of time. The mention of specific characters and events hints at a personal or semi-autobiographical element, which enriches the poem’s emotional depth.

Educational Insights and Learning Points

Students and children can learn several valuable lessons from this poem:

• Imagery and Symbolism: The poem is rich in visual and sensory details, which help readers understand how poets use symbols (like the moon, fog, and sea) to convey complex ideas and emotions.
• Themes of Change and Growth: The poem explores transitions—between youth and adulthood, health and illness, light and darkness—helping students reflect on their own experiences of change.
• Emotional Depth: It encourages readers to think about family dynamics, secrets, and the impact of time on relationships and the body.
• Nature as Metaphor: The poem shows how natural elements can symbolize human feelings and life stages, a useful concept for literary analysis.
• Vocabulary Building: Words like "balmy," "empurpling," "mildew-spreading," and "corkscrew motion" expand students' descriptive language skills.

Practical Applications in Life and Learning

• Creative Writing: Students can practice writing their own poems or stories using vivid imagery and metaphor inspired by this poem.
• Discussion Topics: The poem can prompt conversations about growing up, family relationships, and coping with change.
• Science and Nature Lessons: Teachers can link the poem’s descriptions of weather and natural processes to lessons in meteorology and biology.
• Emotional Intelligence: Understanding the poem’s themes can help students develop empathy and awareness of complex emotions.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What time of year and setting does the poem describe?
2. How does the poet use the moon and fog to create atmosphere?
3. What do the characters S., F., and C. represent in the poem?
4. What themes related to life and death are explored in the poem?
5. How does the poem connect nature with human experience?
6. What feelings does the poem evoke about aging and the passage of time?
7. Identify two examples of metaphor used in the poem.
8. How might the poem’s imagery help readers understand the emotions of the young people described?

Answers to Reading Comprehension Questions

1. The poem describes late September nights with an overcast sky near the ocean, featuring street and house lights.
2. The full moon penetrating the clouds with a halo and the fog filling in create a mysterious, blurred atmosphere that feels both intimate and haunting.
3. S., F., and C. symbolize different life paths—youthful vitality, tragic death, and eventual success or acceptance.
4. The poem explores themes of growth, loss, family secrets, degradation, and mortality.
5. Nature is used as a metaphor for the passage of life, with weather elements reflecting emotional states and life changes.
6. The poem evokes a sense of inevitability and poignancy about aging, showing the body’s slow decline as natural and intertwined with the environment.
7. Examples of metaphor include "Air like a towel draped over shoulders" and "The slow empurpling of skin all summer."
8. The imagery of half-darkness, fog, and the sea helps readers feel the uncertainty, curiosity, and emotional complexity of the young people’s experiences.

This poem offers a profound exploration of life’s transitions, the interplay between nature and human emotion, and the inevitable passage of time, making it a rich resource for both literary study and personal reflection.