“You are the necessity” by Rudy Thomas

135 Replies

You are the necessity outside me
that determines my condition
whether you are beside me or I
am alone in the dark unable to sleep.

If you try to get under my skin, keep
your head up. Old Seventy Creek, clear sky
over Jack’s Knob, poems in decomposition,
& Holstein cattle in the back fifty—

such are some of the necessities inside me.
The words you find there may reveal
my poetry. The artist you meet
will want to paint you without clothes,

athletic woman need not pose in clothes
for canvas. Stumble over Easy Street
in 11 Miles Bull Bay Jamaica. It is real,
a populated place. Beware! Go to the sea

across the road & over the mountain.
Before you fly out of Kingston, look closely
at the object of my longing in the blue water.
You’ll see you are the necessity outside me

that determines my condition. Hurry home.

-Rudy Thomas

135 thoughts on ““You are the necessity” by Rudy Thomas”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *