But Ice Cream Melts

By Nerina Rammairone

Nerina Rammairone finds fragile bliss in the details. Her first poetry collection, But Ice Cream Melts, speaks for the heartbrokenpeople who live in the space between sweet and sour. Here life is not always damaged but it is often delayed, and the struggle to get it rolling again is overwhelming. In Rammairones verses sweet moments never last, but their essence lingers. And sometimes thats all you need.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 23, 2003
• ISBN: 9781477162491

Nerina Rammairone

Nerina Rammairone’s work has appeared in The National Library of Poetry “Best of 1997” Anthology, The Paterson Literary Review and her poem, “Fireflies,” was a finalist in the 1998 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English from St. John's University, where she also re-launched the campus literary magazine, Proteus, after a long hiatus. Ms. Rammairone lives on Staten Island and is currently an editor at TV Guide. In her spare time she stalks Jon Bon Jovi, bakes cookies and would like to buy the world a Coke. But Ice Cream Melts is her first published book of poetry.

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Copyright © 2002 by Nerina Rammairone.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage

and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright

owner.

Edited by Charlotte Butzin

Photos by Christa Neu

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

15825

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

LONGING

YELLOW

THE GOOD BOOK

HIGHWAY

LONE STAR

BUT ICE CREAM

MELTS, SHE SAID

CHAPTER TWO

DEATH ON THE CITY PAVEMENTS:

ODE TO T.S. ELIOT

UPON SEEING HESH, A PLAY

BIRDCAGE

CHAMBER MUSIC ON THE LOCAL

WALT WHITMAN NO MORE

RUSH HOUR

FIREFLIES

PINK HOUSES

APRIL 19 1995

DUST

ICY TUNDRA

CHAPTER THREE

DINNER FOR TWO

TAXI CAB

TV 101

SMALL WONDER:

CONEY ISLAND, MAY 1997

VIENNA IS DYING

CHAPTER FOUR

TRYST

SCRIPT REVISIONS

J.

AT THE

MASQUERADE BALL

ICE

LIKE IN THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

THROW ROSES IN THE RAIN

SUNLIT

FOR E. (OR FOR G. PERHAPS)

CHAPTER FIVE

PORTRAIT OF A POET,

IN THE SUN, PLAYING

HACKYSACK

BOOKMARKED

MONA LISA

INDECISIONS

I THINK OF

DEAN MORIARITY

64 PACK

SATURDAY MORNING JOURNEY

KITE

YOU

DOODLING STARS

MISHAPEN

CHAPTER SIX

THE IMITATION

OF LIFE

MISSISSIPPI

SLOW WALTZ

FEAR OF DEATH

BY WATER

SCAR TISSUE

SHOULD GOD FORGET

SPRING CLEANING

PALM READINGS $5

SHE FELL FROM GRACE

TONITE

CHAPTER SEVEN

JULIET DREAMING

NOISES

IN THE ATTIC

WAKING UP MORTAL

ICARUS FLYING

I AM CINDERELLA

ORBITING

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE WEAKNESS OF

WOMEN I KNOW

THE ACUTE STROKE

UNIT, PHILADELPHIA

VINTAGE LOVE

BIRTHDAY CAKE

SIX DEGREES OF

SEPARATION

CHAPTER NINE

SWEET GOSPEL

ONBOARD

MEXICAN MIDNIGHT

THE GREATEST SHOW

ON EARTH

PLAY-DOH

HEMINGWAY’S BLUES

DESIRE

WHEN YOU ASK

A MAN

I USED TO KNOW

ONE HIT WONDER

COMMUTING

WRAPPED

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

REVOLUTION,

EVOLUTION, LOVE

IN EXCELSIS DEO

BLACK CAR

HOROSCOPE

CHAPTER TEN

INDEPENDENCE DAY

THE PAINTING LESSON

DOWNLOADING

INK

A PRAYER FOR THE

WILD AT HEART, KEPT

IN CAGES

CLAIRVOYANTS, KARMA

… AND OTHER

COSMIC CONCLUSIONS

3000 MILES TO

GRACELAND

FLIGHT PATTERNS

DUSK

MAY

AUGUST AND

EVERYTHING AFTER

CROSSING BOSTON

COMMON

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my parents, for all that words

cannot describe…

missing image file

CHAPTER ONE

LONGING

She said that life for her had been like

the deepest river she’d ever seen

and she couldn’t help but drown.

She said that it was hard to sleep quietly

when the wind whistled and

wolves cried in the moonlight.

She said that she’d never met happiness

but was glad to see him with

those that passed before her.

She said that she watched them all float

up to heaven, batting their wings

and laughing through the clouds.

She said that she longed for time to stop

so that she could finally grow her

wings and fly forever too.

She said that she’d wait until then to say

goodbye to the ice cream man and to

the days when only he was her friend.

YELLOW

He painted in the moonlight

To hide in the darkness the night brings

And to shine in the only light it gives.

To be anything, he’d say.

The yellow, margarine-yellow shingles

He painted to renew,

To make her forget what had been lost,

Rid her of the ghosts that used to hide there.

Hand in hand the women surrounded her

Wanting to be her shelter.

Hand in hand he took her

Willing to be her breath.

The sisters tried to keep her still

As she spun in search of good fortune,

That could only be found within those yellow walls

(Too bright in the day for his moonlight eyes)

At night, the shingles felt like home

And he was what he wanted to be

What she wanted him to be.

Unafraid to face the day’s light,

She