Sunday, December 11, 2011

Cancer Rising

Through Tess at Magpie Tales, image by Mostafa Habibi

I write this poem for this week's Magpie Tales
For Magpie Tales #95 *click here*

Cancer Rising

The abandoned boat resting
on the verge of things caught me
and I am amazed
that this beach ate me
alive like a crab fearing
the coming noontide
crowds, the gulls intent
on piercing my soft salt shell.
I need your help now.
I can't dig me out
alone at this point. Please come,
or my eyes will be plucked out.

written December 11, 2011 8:42 AM



The crab is the sign Cancer becomes cancer and the tide rising is a foretelling and so astrology becomes the abandoned boat and illness is me buried in the sand on the shore of mortality. Finally, cancer becomes a broken heart. That is the poet path, where the muse led me on this one.

By the way, I suffer the broken heart, not the cancer.

My call holds, for it is universal,
"Please come, or my eyes will be plucked out!"

13 comments:

  1. Oh, this is such a strong metaphor... an excellent piece! The pictures are perfect, although I have to wonder who the man is.

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  2. Strong images of the ravaged, especially of "gulls intent / on piercing my soft salt shell" (nice alliteration) and the plucking out of the eyes. So many different ways that we all come to lose our seeing.

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  3. I love this part:

    "that this beach ate me
    alive like a crab fearing"

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  4. Tugging on my heart, this one-- the honesty of "please come"-- bravo. And the beauty and power of your language, beautifully crafted imagery.

    xxxj

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  5. I love what you did this week ... the image was not easy to interpret. You managed it well.

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  6. Hearts mend, stronger with the scar tissue; plucked eyes are gone forever - yet - the seeing may continue?

    Fine poem Christopher, seething with sincerity.

    Isabel x

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  7. A call none could refuse, surely...

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  8. Thank you all. I wish I could be more active socially but my energy is seriously compromised these days.

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  9. Excellent, Christopher, every word pulling its weight.

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  10. Reading this has me wanting to rush to offer help and healing...♥

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  11. Lovely incorporation of the star sign into this piece...

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  12. Excellent words Christopher and I would readily help in any way.

    Anna :o]

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The chicken crossed the road. That's poultry in motion.


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