Hotel Insomnia Poem by Charles Simic

Hotel Insomnia

Rating: 4.3


I liked my little hole,
Its window facing a brick wall.
Next door there was a piano.
A few evenings a month
a crippled old man came to play
"My Blue Heaven."

Mostly, though, it was quiet.
Each room with its spider in heavy overcoat
Catching his fly with a web
Of cigarette smoke and revery.
So dark,
I could not see my face in the shaving mirror.

At 5 A.M. the sound of bare feet upstairs.
The "Gypsy" fortuneteller,
Whose storefront is on the corner,
Going to pee after a night of love.
Once, too, the sound of a child sobbing.
So near it was, I thought
For a moment, I was sobbing myself.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Chaminda Pushpadewa 05 February 2019

The poem has great meaning of the child care its a nice poem

0 0 Reply
Brian Jani 22 May 2014

Hotel insomnia, wow! ! !

1 1 Reply

The last two lines -what to say? Perfect! ('Srce mi je ko obješena lauta: č im ga dotakneš, ono odjekne.')

5 0 Reply
M M 14 November 2007

Enjambment? May be... It lacks both rhyme and reason. It is a lesson.. In what is knot poetry.. Crude strings of *sob* imagery (speed tanka time: just a second)

2 6 Reply

So near it was, I thought For a moment, I was sobbing myself. These lines are such an impeccable example of the true power of enjambment. Many facets can be seen in just one phrase. Fantastic!

3 0 Reply
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