they came for the winter girl, sockets pinned
no longer molded-green berries or ice
branching through blue-jay feathers
or cigarette smoke parting for the weather, the sky
all the cribs and castles above their skulls
she can't see, never again
not this world of pigeon husks and city lights
or meadows silent for the doe and mother
no longer a fox on their shoulders
they march, like parades or soldiers after battle
she lays still, praying for confetti
beneath their soles instead of bullet holes
their chests heave black or lavender
violet ties or orchids strung through hair
below the candle wax and mother's flowers
she pales in glass, the snow white coffin
a cat at Halloween, stretched plush
she is like a fish laid on the grocery ice or
the death of fairytales and magic and sorrow
they remember the sarcasm and zipper-lips
her pounding beneath the speakers
as the passenger in the trunk of a car
the child-like posture of her cradling hands
desperately reaching for them
the rough affection of her tongue, her smirk
the under-aged madness, the libertine of youth
her impish love that broke their bones
they relive the last dance
and float on and on through her ashes,
her comet dust and heartbeat
Author notes
prompt: plan your funeral.
I've done this a billion times but never in poetry form. I want to get cremated after the funeral. My gay husband said he wants to compress my ashes into a diamond. Despite it being morbid, I find it quite sweet.
Honestly though, I hope in death I go missing. They never find me. I know that's selfish sounding because it can't really give a person closure but I just don't want anybody to see me dead. I know that's so fucking selfish to say. But I'm young so things might change or they may not.
A contest entry
- Planning Your Funeral by ea.
700 points, ended September 1, 24 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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Apparently there's a lady in Sweden who has come up with a way to flash freeze and break you down to just a pulp, then you can be used as fertilizer for plants. I would like to be feeding a tree... but the diamond thing is sweet too
My favorite part was:
"she lays still, praying for confetti
beneath their soles instead of bullet holes
their chests heave black or lavender
violet ties or orchids strung through hair"
but really all the parade imagery I really liked, I liked it to begin with but then knowing it related to a funeral gave it a new meaning and depth that I appreciated. -
In english we're talking about Yeat's use of seasons, how when he is sad he used Autumn and when he is feeling dead to the world he used winter, whereas when he is in love he uses spring and summer, so instantly I got a feeling of death. And after finishing and reading your AN everything I thought was clearer, though I loved how you talked about another feeling you have about your death, not just that you're going early. It seemed so much deeper, and God, you're mature about it.
I fond the imagery in this enchanting, especially the soldiers one, it stabbed me deep. There was amazing contrast like cribs and skulls, it put amazing images into my spinning head. I think you should read Yeats's "The Cold Heaven" (we're studying him in english, that's why I keep using him!)
This kind of reminded me of it, just more modern.
that was a beautiful thing your gay hubby said about you :]
the idea of comet dust was beautiful to me, a little side thought was that people don't even realise that some dust was actually a comet, which made me think that people in the future will think of you but now actually know it was you, but you'l influence them in ways you can never imagine. I'm feeling very imaginative tonight, tangent much.
*huggles forever*
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You kno. You have improved so fuckin much, it's amazing. This is absoultly beautiful and very well written. Congratulations.
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this is just fucking enchanting.
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thank you :]
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wonderful - a real funeral procession of imagery here and I like how the 4th stanza gives me a sense of the girl... I know what you mean about not wanting to be seen in death - I have always been hoping for spontaneous combustion for that reason. You can insist on a closed casket or even being cremated before any service though, so that no one does, except the mortician.
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ooo combustion. I also wanted to get vaporized too because then there is nothing left.
thank you for the comment. and the gold :]]]
♥
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