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Anne Sexton - The Ballad Of The Lonely Masturbator

The end of the affair is always death. 
She's my workshop. Slippery eye, 
out of the tribe of myself my breath 
finds you gone. I horrify 
those who stand by. I am fed. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed. 
Finger to finger, now she's mine. 
She's not too far. She's my encounter. 
I beat her like a bell. I recline 
in the bower where you used to mount her. 
You borrowed me on the flowered spread. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed. 
Take for instance this night, my love, 
that every single couple puts together 
with a joint overturning, beneath, above, 
the abundant two on sponge and feather, 
kneeling and pushing, head to head. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed. 
I break out of my body this way, 
an annoying miracle. Could I 
put the dream market on display? 
I am spread out. I crucify. 
My little plum is what you said. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed. 
Then my black-eyed rival came. 
The lady of water, rising on the beach, 
a piano at her fingertips, shame 
on her lips and a flute's speech. 
And I was the knock-kneed broom instead. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed. 
She took you the way a women takes 
a bargain dress off the rack 
and I broke the way a stone breaks. 
I give back your books and fishing tack. 
Today's paper says that you are wed. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed. 
The boys and girls are one tonight. 
They unbutton blouses. They unzip flies. 
They take off shoes. They turn off the light. 
The glimmering creatures are full of lies. 
They are eating each other. They are overfed. 
At night, alone, I marry the bed.

Added: on May 31st, 2007 at 12:24 AM | Viewed: 10745 times | Comments and analysis of The Ballad Of The Lonely Masturbator by Anne Sexton Comments (13)


The Ballad Of The Lonely Masturbator - Comments and Information

Poet: Anne Sexton
Poem: The Ballad Of The Lonely Masturbator
Poem of the Day: Sep 25 2004

Comment 13 of 13, added on November 1st, 2007 at 12:12 PM.

you people are riddiculus, poetry is meant to express our inner feelings and thats what sexton has done in all of her work. she is very talented and just because she was depressed doesnt make her a crazy bitch it makes her a person!

tears from United States
Comment 12 of 13, added on October 4th, 2007 at 10:42 PM.

I agree with Andrew. And by the way, Anne Sexton had incestuous contact with her daughter and ended up killing herself. So he was right, she was a crazy bitch. I think that you people are the narrow-minded, ignorant ones.

Madeline from United States
Comment 11 of 13, added on May 31st, 2007 at 12:24 AM.

The only reason Andrew said that was because he himself wants to be a lonely masturbator but has yet to hit the ejaculation period of his puberty. He is still in the pre-coming stages...haha get it...

Daniel Shiskabob from Azerbaijan

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