These last days were fireflies trapped in a blacked-out bottle.
When I could not longer whisper your name I simply stopped speaking.
Sleeping in the fire till my eyes smoldered,
sipping flesh-colored air the flavor of yesterday's newspaper,
flaying in the husky wind
that bruised my skin
until I smelt of lilacs.
Tasting the opiate of silence, making my head churn.
My faith burned in that Nebraska sun, watching Aedon's steps dwindle.
Even when I lived without sleeping, counting until my hands were numb.
Store counters littered with labeled bottles, enticing me with their crayon colored interiors of release
if only i had a glass of water...
OK let's just peace out,
And when in pieces, i will know how it felt to be whole.
"A child of 5 could understand this. Fetch me a child of 5."
The unwilling dancers of destiny
Laugh into their hands and chatter like violins in the immobile wind.
I've kissed you silently, reverently, until yesterday becomes tomorrow.
She has no memory of the ending.
I will shelter these inhibitions
with sweaters
knitted by fireside
and claimed by the tempered words
of rocking chair verbs.
The illiterate scholars who scriptured our story
Were bored of their ending before we began.
"Mal dans mon peux?"
This house stretches its weary limbs, coughs, shifts and settles back to sleep.
Trapped children of stars the night will not reclaim.
A contest entry
- Is your Writing in a Wrut? by just mercedes.
1700 points, ended December 17, 2008, 22 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Maybe if you just made sense of nonsense...
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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wow. i was totally confused by this piece until i read the rules for the contest you wrote it for. it's a good write, interesting. the descriptions are images all separate unto themselves, flowing like chaos one right after the other, a river of things to see and hear in the head. and when you say "a child of five could understand this..." you're right. a child of five probably would. but sadly i am not a child of five, so i cannot understand, i can only appreciate your beautiful use of language.
"fetch me a child of five..." -
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thanks sweetie, it was a lot of fun to write but there is a smattering of meaning behind the words. The first stanza is about the feelings immediately after someone leaves you. The second one reviews the actual moment, and the speaker's consideration of diversions (ie drugs). The third stanza's is I guess just the cynical observation of the world and its sometimes cruelly senseless events. The fourth is the speakers somewhat acceptance of his absence (a wish for what could not be, the idea of growing older without him - the sweater/rocking chair reference) The last stanza expresses the opinion that maybe their relationship was really doomed from the start (not exactly hopeful, i know) The french phrase literally means "bad in my skin" but means something on your mind that you have to get over. The last line "children of stars..." is recall of the image of the fireflies.
not sure if you really wanted an explanation but there it is.
luv you tons!!
Tala -
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of course i wanted the explanation! thanks, babe. it's all the greater now that i know what it's about.
~leaf.
xoxo
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Lost for words
I love so much of this..and whatever it is - it is captivating
I need things often that take my whole attention
and this did that. A wonderful journey that brought so very much with it..Total absorption with great imagery.
I am greatfull you have shared this.No - not so much of this - All of this
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Maybe nonsense, but there is meaning here behind the words, feeling and emotion that transcend the building blocks like a castle transcends the brick. I like what you made, and hope you enjoyed the process. Thanks for this entry.
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Thank you for your kind words. I very much enjoyed the process, it was a great way to get past writers block! What a clever contest
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