Her xylophone plays
with the asperity of torn sheets,
snapping the summer breeze while hung to dry.
The crackling sound
could bleed its voice
on each cloud
to an unmeasured degree of intensity;
untamed even for a eulogy.
I will not force her to stop,
only guard her
from onlookers who may happen by
pressing her insecure tunes
into places where justice knows no limits -
and, I would kill if they dared try.
Family law
has me blood bound to my sister's needs
and I burn the midnight oil
planning each day;
rehearsing each bedtime that lies ahead.
My vision is opaque beneath the pressure of it all.
But
I am the quintessential family member;
a red letter scar that breathes life
into tomorrow
dutifully plotting;
the unknown hero
who listens to her vex her "suitors"
with each flat key played.
To breathe freedom is merely a whim,
a wish made from yesterday
in a zone more intense
than longer days
where nights fall beyond starlit wonder.
Author notes
I used all the words
Background Courtesy of: VLAD Studios
WORD BANK:
Asperity, Bleed, Cloud, Degree, Eulogy, Force, Guard, Happen, Insecure, Justice, Kill, Law, Midnight, Night. Opaque, Pressure, Quintessential, Red, Scar, Tomorrow, Unknown, Vex, Whim,
X (any word starting with X in your poem that fits gets extra points). Yesterday, Zone
For X I chose xylophone
A contest entry
- Word Bank by Ravenblood.
900 points, ended January 24, 16 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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I really enjoyed this poem.
Loyalty to family, protection.
"My vision is opaque beneath the pressure of it all
But
I am the quintessential family member;"
Mmm this position in the family often carries some burden and pain.
Well done.
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"Family law has me blood bound to my sister's needs"...This line hit my heart squarely, because even when there is estrangement, love is remembered and does not let go.
I think this poem is a masterpiece that denotes so much more than loyalty, with undercurrents of pain that etch my own opaque vision in the reading. Nights falling beyond starlit wonder---Wow!
Pam, your poetry is exquisite. I am wistful at the tenderness and tormented by the bite, all at the same time. Such eloquence!
~ Karen
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Intense
This is the altar of family, on which women sacrifice their strength and youth; "blood bound to my sister's needs". I have a girlfriend doing this for her parents. You find the emotion easily, some of this sounds quite fierce. Well done with the word bank!
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i gathered the words to challenge my muse later...but for now, let me say that your understanding of family meets my own...protect and serve...especially love the stanza that starts
only guard her...to and i would kill if they dared try...masterful weaving of the wordlist into a cogent momen -
I too
had such a sister. Luckily she gave up music so no blood was spilled.
Excellent work Pam.
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as always, perfection; a great story and a great background.
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