Fragments of Poems by Marilyn Monroe

Brain Pickings recently introduced me to something fantastic: fragments of poems written by Marilyn Monroe. They are included in the book titled Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe.


She's a mythic figure, tragic, fragile, lost too soon. These fragments show a thoughtful, creative artist.


Here are a few fragments:




 I’m finding that sincerity
and
trying
to be as simple or direct as (possible) I’d like
is often taken for sheer stupidity
but since it is not a sincere world –
it’s very probable that being sincere is stupid.
One probably is stupid to
be sincere since it’s in this world
and no other world that we know
for sure we exist — meaning that –
(since reality exists it
should be must be dealt
should be met and dealt with)
since there is reality to deal with

I guess I have always been
deeply terrified
at
to really be someone’s
wife
since I know life
one cannot love another,
ever, really

Oh damn I wish that I were
dead — absolutely nonexistent –
gone away from here — from
everywhere but how would I
do it

There is always bridges — the Brooklyn
bridge
– no not the Brooklyn Bridge
because
But I love that bridge (everything is beautiful from there and the air is so clean) walking it seems
peaceful
there
even with all those
cars going crazy underneath. So
it would have to be some other bridge
an ugly one and with no view — except
I
particularly
like in particular all bridges — there’s some-
thing about them and besides
these
I’ve
never seen an ugly bridge