THE KNOTMAKER

Resource added
THE KNOTMAKER   
by J. A. Emanuel

Unaware he stepped into the trap, 
dead-white kitchen cord 
that angered up, it seemed, into the knot 
as if some killer-current racing through it 
burned to snatch his foot, 
hiss high, and dangle him 
against electric oven.

Fantasy, it challenged him, 
its source and sizzling logic fleshed 
in his past. He plunged, 
but found no lyncher's knot, 
no guilty rawhide damage done; 
though, climbing out, he unwound no one's tourniquet torn from his own sleeve, his very back.

The bloodless cord arched  toward his leg 
till reason eased him: "You only dropped it; 
the plug's too far." "So true," 
unopened rice, pale dregs of spice 
and shrinking kitchenstuff agreed. 
Refrigerator door then shuddered into life, 
dissent, and hummed of secret power 
coiled in its dark 
down where black magnet glowed 
to trance his thought into the bin 
where peppers, carrots, lettuce 
lay in shrouds of vapory plastic, 
his tight knots topping each 
like bobtails wrenched--
twists unremembered by his hand 
until his drifting eye found others 
strangling the cupboard's innocents:
slim packs of instant coffee, toothpicks, bread.

Recognition, like a falling cup unbroken in his hand, suspended him near knots 
distorting other shelves:
the wardrobe where his hoarded, braided twine 
was hanging on a nail, 
the bookcase where cassettes of old-flame music 
lay silent, tied up face-to-face--
more furnishings to be stomached 
on his inmost rack of all, 
his deepest knots, 
his little gutmasters  waiting 
for surprise.

Full description

Poem written by Emanuel where he compares a kitchen cord knot to a lynch knot.

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  • type
    Image
  • created on
  • file format
    jpg
  • file size
    705 kB
  • container title
    James A. Emanuel Papers
  • creator
    James A. Emanuel
  • issue
    BOX 5 FOLDER 4, Deadly James, draft A, 1981-1990 (1 of 2)
  • rights
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • rights holder
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • version
    Unknown