Sunday, October 4, 2015

Heartache - A Magpie Tale


Dream by Jacek Yerka, 2011.
Offered by Tess of Sunday's The Mag for a writing prompt. This is No. 288. Posted once a week, there are fifty-two weeks in a year, and occasionally she misses a week but not often. No. 260 or so thus marks more than five years. Good work, Tess! Love you.

Heartache

I am keeping watch
as if you need me for that,
you in the middle
of your story line
woven of the crescent moon.

Wrapped in waterproof
summer sheets, the story
a bottomless flow of warm
black water - I am
keeping watch for sign
of you in my heart as if
I need you for my life
to work anymore.

Nearby, in the black light hole
life has made centered
in my time-apple
tree started decades before
my hope for us grew,
I have stashed the words
I promised you last Tuesday
and my night cap keeps
my brains from falling
out, falling flat out of me.

Something's wrong with the night stand.
The cat keeps twitching away
and the stairs keep descending.
I would like to wake up now.

October 4, 2015 5:41 PM

13 comments:

  1. Fine, intriguing response to the prompt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The ache of a one sided love is quite evident here. One hopes that either the sleeper or narrator will speak up and put an end to the stalemate, one way or another.

    ReplyDelete
  3. love the way you relate the images with your experience!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The "I" of poetry is completely identified with the "I" of other forms of creative writing. I would never hold anyone to the idea that all first person writing must be self referential, any more than I would hold someone to the idea that third person writing cannot be about the writer directly and intimately. In short you cannot expect that you can tell if a poet is being self revelatory in any given poem. The poet may be writing fiction.

      Delete
  4. The cat keeps twitching away
    and the stairs keep descending.
    I would like to wake up now.

    Classic ending Chris! When a dream turns into something mysterious or frightening one gets the unconscious mind to be conscious. One will twitch oneself to wake up. Done that!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Hank. We have been in the same creative space a while now.

      Delete
  5. Nice. This is so well done. Loved it, loved the last stanza especially...way to bring it home. Excellent work here. I feel it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your comments amaze me. Thank you all.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. I wish to encourage you in your work, Tess. Since it is obvious that I am far too old to steal you away from your lives and great loves, I hope you will continue to share your joy and sense of fun with us like this. I am grateful.

      Delete
  8. Ah, Jozien, you are my favorite Dutch Canadian without any question. I continue to wish you well. You touch me.

    ReplyDelete

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


Get Your Own Visitor Map!