Love again: wanking at ten past three (Surely he's taken…
““Love again: wanking at ten past three (Surely he's taken her home by now?), The bedroom hot as a bakery, The drink gone dead, without showing how To meet tomorrow, and afterwards, And the usual pain, like dysentery. Someone else feeling her breasts and cunt, Someone else drowned in that lash-wide stare, And me supposed to be ignorant, Or find it funny, or not to care, Even ... but why put it into words? Isolate rather this element That spreads through other lives like a tree And sways them on in a sort of sense And say why it never worked for me. Something to do with violence A long way back, and wrong rewards, And arrogant eternity.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker reflects on sexual frustration, jealousy, and the lingering pain of unfulfilled desire, linking personal anguish to broader patterns of violence and existential disillusionment.
In simple terms: Sexual frustration and lingering pain are tied to deeper violence and existential disappointment.
Recognize and address the roots of personal pain.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- intimate relationships
- therapy sessions
- self‑reflection
- artistic expression
- social commentary
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does personal pain reflect larger societal patterns?
- What role does violence play in shaping intimacy?
The poem’s raw language may obscure its deeper critique of societal expectations.