Today the Flood

[Todd]

I may be taking this poem entirely the wrong way, but I see this as an extended metaphor for two people in a relationship. One of the pushing the speaker to open up. This person is not always safe and doesn't respect what the speaker shares. There is also a lot of sharing coming from reduced inhibitions. There is a torrent unleashed that's impossible to bottle up again. There is no undoing it.

Comments below:

Where the clouds become the earth, the ground
swells and expels its savage regrets.
Windows, shades and summers are trapped
beneath the tempest, waiting
to be born.--all beautiful setup. What was far off is now near. Nice tension

You encourage exploration –
endless questions placing culverts
for forgotten debris to block,--this last line gets at the self exploration and the way the speaker protects themselves through the process. That it forgotten debris makes us think that the speaker is trying to be open, but is blocked by past baggage.

and how can I keep looking inside
when there’s nothing to see but the light from your eyes--I keep wanting to shorten this "at the light from your eyes"
reflecting on yesterday’s mockingbird mime --beautiful phrasing for what I believe means the self-limiting scripts in my head. The remembered voices of critical people
and a crystal decanter of sky? --very lovely phrasing

I
sip again the nectar that
glistens at the corner of the hour.--love the "corner of the hour" as if we've reached an important transition

Behind the curtains, tomorrow’s promise
melts feebly into soda, lime and --the melting promise is like ice in a mixed drink. I like that
a slag of sorrow. Someone, somewhere,
forgets to press rewind.--no going back

I enjoyed the read Leanne.

Best,

Todd