She tiptoes to the horizon at dawn.
Suddenly, radiance floods her void.
To a life too long cloaked in night,
exposure is greatly enjoyed!
Secrets are leprosy to the soul...
Seclusion had been her one friend
while acid shame coursed through her veins
and dissolved her from within.
She had believed her innocence taken,
not stolen by some monstrous thief,
but merely taken, for who was she
if not merely worthless and weak.
Her unseasoned ears could not yet discern lies
and pain was befitting her station,
so she lied to herself and everyone else
and grew into her reputation.
Perhaps it was drugs, promiscuity?
Her own deeds compounded her shame.
Quite the professional victim, though,
she righteously shifted the blame.
Then irony fell around her like bars:
A grown man took child as wife!
What could she have been expected to do?
For penance, she gave him her whole life...
She tiptoed to the horizon at dawn.
Suddenly, radiance filled her void.
To a life too long cloaked in night,
exposure is its greatest joy!
She keeps a reminder of where she's been,
by the big window, on the shelf.
Openly displayed is Scott Hutchison's art
entitled, "Her Former Self".
Author notes
The story of addiction.
A contest entry
- Her Former Self by Pamela A Lamppa.
5000 points, ended September 9, 2007, 13 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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Amazing
This is a wonderful piece! The meter, the wording, the whole feel of it is like music to my mind.
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Thank you for taking time to read and comment on my thoughts. I really appreciate it, Twist!
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Wow.
This piece is powerfully written. Such meaning within each stanza and the last one just pulled it all together. I almost felt a little exposed myself at reading it. Wonderful meter and flow within a brilliantly rhymed piece.
The tale, though tragic, is truthful. Full of real-world feel and sound. An excellent entry for my contest. Thank you for contributing this gem. It is one I will think on for quite some time.
Excellent. ~Pamela
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Thank you, Pamela. Your kind words mean a lot to me. I'm glad my words touched you in some small way. Great idea for a contest, by the way. It's really interesting to see what that most intriguing painting brings out of people. Hope you are having fun with it as I am!
Sheryl
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wow, this piece is incredible. It's very powerful and insightful. An expertly written piece. It deeply reminds me of my brother and his stuggle with abuse and addiction. Very well done, this write is very hard-hitting, expressing precisely the turmoil of addiction. I really liked that last stanza, very uplifting and surging with power. A marvelous write, to say the least. well done!!
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Thank you, Wax, for the raving review! heehee I'm glad you picked up on the theme of hope. I looked at the painting and thought about its title. It seemed to me that the picture portrays what the person had been like before some beautiful metamorphosis. My experience with addicts (especially recovering ones) was the best example I could imagine to depict this phenomenon. I appreciate your time and thoughts. Thanks again!
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