i.
The demons imprisoned beneath my ribs
are warring to get out, to
break free.
I cannot control them as
my head swims
with its familiar ache,
a pain so conversant it has become dull.
I cannot fight
the unrelenting recollections.
ii.
Everything in my world
is so big,
but I have never felt smaller
than in this single moment.
The uninviting wirey fence
is ice beneath my tiny fingers.
So small, but with
eyes and a heart too large for my stature,
I cannot forget this moment.
My ears have never done their job well,
but I can never forget the sounds;
to the left:
tears dripping on the pavement below,
and to the right:
the loudest, most glaring silence
I have ever heard.
And the smell,
as if Hell itself has finally burnt in horror
at the scene before my eyes.
iii.
The dust has been settling for days,
and its wake bars any hope
of utterance.
Here are only fragments of what once was,
as ash and rubble work fruitlessly
not to forget.
Heaven cannot give rain
to wash away this scene,
for we have taken all its tears
as children
no longer-lived than me
are taken from the rubble
to a place of
final rest.
Author notes
It was a tought decision, but I've finally decided to say this goes for option one. This is my memory of the OKC bombing, which is where that picture came from and I've tried to paint the scene and story around it.
A contest entry
- 5 OPTION -- Prewrites allowed by Florida Sunshine.
525 points, ended July 29, 2008, 28 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
-
Merry meet,
Congratulations on winning an Honorable Mention.
I remember call my Aunt and Uncle who lived there to see how they were and if they were okay. It was such a senseless thing to have happened.
I like how you divided the stanza's, it brought you right there in the middle of that disaster.
Congratulations again on your win.
Amythest
-
I remember the Oklahoma Bombing ~ It was a sad day. Especially, strong wording:
"but I can never forget the sounds;
to the left:
tears dripping on the pavement below,
and to the right:
the loudest, most glaring silence"
You did a terrific job, I truly believe the words you've penned is a terrific tribute-- that will echo in the hearts of anyone that reads this.
Thanks for entering the contest and writing especially for me ~
Best of luck to you,
Florida Sunshine
-
I felt the sadness
Such madness, such sadness, and you expressed it well here. -
-
Thank you. This was a very emotional write for me and the memories run deep.
-
Adding your comment:
