dear jackie;
sometimes i wake up and taste the world jetéing off its axis. it seems the wind has become fire and the water has all burned.
both of us desperately trying to hold onto the blades of grass.
onto each others eyelashes.
onto something other than hope.
anything.
we're hurtling at the frequency of heartache into vacuum.
~~~
you sleepwalk on deserted freeways, carrying heart shaped balloons and looking for rusted nails to burst them with.
i do pirouettes in satin ballet flats, my toes painting intricate patterns in wooden floorboards. i used to believe that if i tried hard enough, i could dance my way to a scintillating paradise, on the other side of eternity.
i think i may have reached there.
i think maybe that's why i don't dance anymore.
the moon does cartwheels around your skull, and the clouds applaud. yet you dream of the day that you would be nothing more than chiaroscuro, nothing more than cobalt shadows in the sky.
~~~
i've seen you.
i've seen you tear your heart open because you wanted to know if you were alive. i've seen you gather daisies and throw them into the wind and watched the petals fly.
i've seen me.
i've seen how i make lists of words like 'aquarelle' and 'diptych', and pretend that they mean something to me. how my soles wear out satin much too fast and how my palms are rougher than they should be.
i've seen us drown.
and i've seen us love again.
know something. i'm just as terrified as you are. we're both just spinning round through the snowstorms of time and love and the stars.
~~~
when you can't see for the inkstains on your eyes, close them. wait for me. i will be your streetlights, your butterfly tattoo, your shades of sienna.
your swansong.
when you cry, your kaleidoscope-tears will turn into the daisy petals you so meticulously counted when you were naive and unsure. and i swear that they will never fall in even numbers.
"shelovesmenot
...shelovesme."
(you never did weep in symmetry.)
when you break, hold onto my spindle-wrists as hard as you can. i promise you they'll hold.
and when you're whole again, your scars will transform into highways that stretch to infinity.
because the stage will never be overwhelming enough. safe enough. happy enough.
...but all we are is all we need to be.
Author notes
c i r q u e
d u
s o l e i l
Picture Prompt - http://cookies-swing.deviantart.com/art/The-dancer-127637066
A contest entry
- prose/freeverse [part 2] by etoile.
3000 points, ended July 10, 22 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Letters (But not to me) by pinksnowboots.
480 points, ended September 17, 77 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - I want you to love me; [inviteonly] by ChinaDollTravesty.
900 points, ended October 26, 105 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please help me make this better!
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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ou sleepwalk on deserted freeways, carrying heart shaped balloons and looking for rusted nails to burst them with.
i do pirouettes in satin ballet flats, my toes painting intricate patterns in wooden floorboards. i used to believe that if i tried hard enough, i could dance my way to a scintillating paradise, on the other side of eternity.
i think i may have reached there.
i think maybe that's why i don't dance anymore.
- that's so painful, and beautiful. such a sad beauty. and i can relate so so so much -
i do pirouettes in satin ballet flats, my toes painting intricate patterns in wooden floorboards. i used to believe that if i tried hard enough, i could dance my way to a scintillating paradise, on the other side of eternity.
i think i may have reached there.
i think maybe that's why i don't dance anymore.
This spoke to me so loudly. It was almost to the point where I had to put my hands over my ears just to hear the absolute silence. I danced, but wasn't good at it for 7 years, and this is just so utterly amazing.
You have talent.
Don't you doubt that.
Thank you for entering and good luck! (:
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my name is Jackie. =]
"we're hurtling at the frequency of heartache into vacuum."
-- that is a really interesting line. i love it.
"know something. i'm just as terrified as you are. we're both just spinning round through the snowstorms of time and love and the stars."
-- adore that part.
thankyou for entering ! -
Thisis amazing, I have so many favorite parts, Wow!
WritingFree -
wow, this is amazing too. your writing is always so beautiful and stunning. I can't get over how amazing you are.
goodluck and thanks for entering
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I've seen you.
I've seen you tear your heart open because you wanted to know if you were alive. I've seen you gather daisies and throw them into the wind and watched the petals fly.
I've seen me.
I've seen how i make lists of words like 'aquarelle' and 'diptych', and pretend that they mean something to me. how my soles wear out satin much too fast and how my palms are rougher than they should be.
I loved that part .. well the whole thing was great.
thanks for entering -
'I've seen you.
I've seen you tear your heart open because you wanted to know if you were alive. I've seen you gather daisies and throw them into the wind and watched the petals fly.
I've seen me.
I've seen how i make lists of words like 'aquarelle' and 'diptych', and pretend that they mean something to me. how my soles wear out satin much too fast and how my palms are rougher than they should be.
I've seen us drown.
and I've seen us love again.
'
I really like this part.
thanks so much for entering, good luck -
Excellent
Your poem brought tears to my eyes. You made me remember and feel with emotions that had become rusty...
"...but all we are is all we need to be."
return the favor?
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You nut case!! Why you make me read your work ha.. So good you are.. It's an amazing piece and definitely does the picture a good amount of justice.Good luck
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Deep meaningful and bonita
I personally thought this poem is breathtakingly beautiful-the poigancy -the feelings- the emoting - all reached out and touched my heart-'and i've seen us love again'-'when you can't see for the inkstains on your eyes, close them. wait for me. i will be your streetlights, your butterfly tattoo, your shades of sienna. your swansong'-very beautiful lines-but the clincher for me are your closing lines-'...but all we are is all we need to be.'-this line is weighed and I love it
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You have so much beautiful imagery in all your work and I love the way you use movement to carry the reader along. The different terms from dance and the colors, ink stains, kaleidoscope, mingled with things like petals in the wind all give a totally surreal feel to your poem. I love this sort of free rambling association.
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aww..thank you!
it means a lot to me that you like it
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