Poetic analysis of Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" (dare I call it a mixed genre :-) )

Over the hills and not so far away

Hack hack – cough cough

it’s all dust

Ah, well, apart from

drip drip – drop drop

the sweat and the beer

and I forgot

the swish and the swash

how the bamboo hush

the buzz buzz

of the flies that fuss

Only two ways to go

after many different roads

Ah, but I forgot,

there’s only one

that could lead them to the two

And though his bags are packed

ready to go

she’s not so sure

that’s all we know

Well apart from

he’s American

but what is she?

Just a girl or a mother to be

To be or not to be

That is the question

But not for… he

has made his mind up

clinically detached

a simple operation

nothing more than that

How he cuts their tie

the indifferent rat

leaves her absently riding

a white elephant’s back

In the distance

he sees

an obstacle

of

elephantine proportion

she

a possibility of purity

contrasting an abortion

(oh no, I said it out loud,

the unspeakable cloud,

I’m sorry Hemingway,

I gave it away!)

She:

“everything tastes the same!”

Hedonism takes the blame.

He

Crosses fingers

and damn…

says:

“it’s all in your hand.”

Allures to something like

“not commitment I lack”

still he grabs their rags

and chooses the track

while we still listen to

Hack hack – cough cough

it’s all dust

Ah, well, apart from

drip drip – drop drop

the sweat and the beer

and I forgot

the swish and the swash

how the bamboo hush

the buzz buzz

Of the flies that fuss

Unfinished, undecided

all left undone

apart from the empty smudged glasses

in the shadows of a burning sun.