Part One: Then
My clothes, bright splotches of paint on the
chipped cement of the front porch.
My neighbor, fat, bilious and bubbling,
a bachelor,
mowing his lawn in a tiny blue swimsuit,
disappearing in the folds
of his body
as he sits on his mower,
the stretched skin,
hidden in those crevices,
white as fresh cream.
He has tan lines
in the creases of his torso.
And eyes to see my secrets.
My father... NO, my STEPfather's fury
etches permanent scars on his face and on me.
He always shakes and trembles,
like my sweater in the yard.
I seal my mouth in super-glue and fear,
my jaw locked by nuts and bolts
and his hands.
Part Two: Now
I wake up in sweat and fear,
lost in a place behind me
and for a moment I am stuck, no way forward.
But then my lover shifts beside me,
murmuring in his sleep,
and I remember that I don't have to go back
unless I want to.
Things would be different, if I were to rewind
and I visit that place carefully in my mind,
going over and over that scene until
the images are sureal, like they happened to someone else.
And it WAS someone else;
I am not her. I have become more;
not the sum of all of those things but something beyond
and full of Power.
Author notes
sherrilyn1999; while I didn't fear a lover, I have certainly feared abuse--this poem isn't about getting over it because we really never do. But to describe it, explore it, expose it, that gives momentum to something with far more power.
A contest entry
- Closing The Door To Your Past by Viyanna Rosemarie.
1233 points, ended September 21, 2008, 17 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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Very true and has imagery. But, I thought the ending "and full of Power." could of done well without. I felt that it gave the poem an awkward halt to it. Unless, there was more meaning to the word "Power", if so..perhaps a different word would of best described it, something that is beyond omnipotent? Supreme? Unlimited? If you have become more, what exactly is "more"?
Overall, your poem was great, but I think the ending needs to be strengthened.
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Wow..
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This piece was very strong and told a good story. It was relatively smooth. The imagery was good and everything fit together perfectly. It was creative to split it up into two parts, show the comparison. Thanks for entering
Jeanette*~ -
i am hoping that you can somehow incorporate your author notes into the poem itself so that it fits with the contest requirements. i will give you some time to do this. thank you for entering and good luck with the addition to the write. viyanna rosemarie
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