They lay hidden by red lipstick, perfume,
On the bottom of a purse of silence
Each written on small white scraps of paper.
There was no love; only words full of want
Scattered in small block phrases infidelity,
Collected thoughts, badges, my dishonor?
They lay waiting, sleeping with dishonor
Masked by trust, covered in her soft perfume.
And yet, they found me infidelity
My eyes frozen, words scraping my silence
Etching the truth of her lies; her want
The tattoo of deception on paper.
I asked. I stammered. What are these… Papers
Am I cuckolded, Am I dishonored?
Did the dark shadows hide your body’s wants?
Each scrap held betrayal, not your perfume,
Can you cover the scent in your silence?
Secret meetings, Twice? infidelity.
Metamorphosis. Infidelity.
Twice? Once? Changing the words scratched on paper.
Rape? Assault? No longer hidden silence.
Arrested? Charged? Who faced the dishonor?
Blurred truth? Confusion? What is perfume,
But a mask to hide your needs, your wants.
Infidelity? Rape? What is my want?
My dilemma…….Rape? Infidelity?
There is no right. There is no perfume
To make me forget the lines on paper.
What do I believe, Who do I dishonor,
I can find no answers in my silence.
My mind disintegrates in silence
As my desire for truth becomes want.
The cannibalization of dishonor
Eats me. Is it my Infidelity?
Should I believe the covenant paper
The vows of two in incense and perfume.
Memories of perfume, I ask for silence
The words on paper, anybody’s want.
Infidelity Who is dishonored?
Author notes
I wrote this poem in the form of a Sestina. I also tried to keep the feet to pentameter metrics. This poem is about facing the choice..........infidelity...or rape? Is there a choice or judgement that is acceptable? Both have pain and guilt attached. How do you decide what to believe when everything points towards what you cannot bare to believe. I faced this. The truth...? Am I terrible in judging myself because I struggled?
Written April 4th, 2005
A contest entry
- For Members of Aspiring Poets ONLY. by duana.
300 points, ended June 12, 2005, 8 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 13 of 13
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very well executed, you seem to have written this back when fool's roamed (April), this takes one so far more than just the words, infidelity...beckoning upon the door of truth, words rendered as always masterfully, excellence soars.....SE. Re....nA
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you did a wonderfull Job on this you are extremly talented BRAVO!!!
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Wow, that is amazing. I loved the rythm. Very good!
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A touching, alarming write... the poem's rhyme and rhythm are done well. The issue in context is a puzzling and disturbing one. Like Yem, I agree that a relation in such conditions would be baseless.
best wishes to you,
Sau. -
Excellent exploration of that perceptional and emotional dilemma! Very well written!
I missed this the first times through as I have difficulty with poor contrasts between text and background (yellow on patterned orange is not easy on the eyes
)
~G
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All too true!
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The fact the a spouse must wonder if their wife is either a liar or a victim proves that this relationship must end. There is no trust or belief on the man's part. And if indeed it were an infidelity, than the woman has broken the sacred bond, and each scenario shows a broken trust. It is a sad situation but a relationship built on nothing. At least that is how I view it.
An exceptional poem, one worth reading again. -
I haven't tried a sestina yet, but I admire every one I've read. The complexity of the form is quite daunting. The reiteration of these important words hammers in the emotional impact of the events. The information is vague, but that is life, too. This is a great piece, thanks for entering.
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I was trying to tell the story of someone who had to choose what to believe of their spouse. Did they have an affair? Were they assaulted? You have been told both stories. How would you choose which one to believe? They both have consequences that are multiply distasteful.
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I hate sestinas. Rather I hate writing them. Kudos to you for taking the time and effort to do it. That said, I have no idea what this about. I don't know if it's about rape or if it's about lost love or whatever. That said, this is a good poem. Poems don't always have to MEAN anything to be good.
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Thank you for taking the time to read it. You comments are appreciated.
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This is an amazing write.. I give you much credit for not only writing this in a sestina form but also keeping it in pentameter metrics. I wrote a sestina recently, took a lot out of me so from now on when I see people write in such forms I give credit where its deserved especially when it is a good sestina, such as this one.. Great write!
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this is a really good write i really enjoyed readying it i hope to read more by you in the near feuture
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