I stumble thru a world
that’s bent slightly outa focus
as if it were half dream
half burn
heat risin off my skin in waves
like quiet embers tryin
to decide if I’m worth ignitin
every breath feels wrong
every step lands heavy
gravity clawin up my spine
light grinds into my throat
slips under my ribs
cuttin slow
darin me to stop
I walk anyway
the sky drapes itself across my shoulders
blue stretched thin and tremblin
like it’s afraid I might rip thru it again
wind forces its way into my lungs
wakin embers I left for dead
embers that still answer
faithful as a servant
to my name
the ground shifts without warnin
the world tiltin sideways
like it’s tryin to lift me off my feet
gravity unhooks
deep in my spine
there’s a breath
barely a second
where the air goes bright
and I swear
I feel myself brightenin with it
and then the drop
always the drop
my hands return first
those traitor creators of sound
those makers of chords and noise
now tremblin like loose strings
my knees crack
my heart misfires
and my body folds inward
as the light drains out
leavin a thin line of heat
hidin under my ribs
proof that anythin divine
never leaves
without takin somethin with it
I push forward
draggin whatever’s left of me
thru heat and silence
there’s no map for this shit
no clean line
between what burns
and what’s already dust
just a world that shifts
every time I move
answerin back with more fire
some pieces of me lift
some collapse
every burn
every spark
every fuckin piece that refuses
to be smothered
whether I want them or not
all of them are mine
“my hands return first
those traitor creators of sound
those makers of chords and noise
now tremblin like loose strings”
Powerfully penned, 253. Excellent write with killer imagery my friend. Loved the lines above, and that ending verse drove it home. Nicely done. Appreciate you.
Damian
much appreciated Damian
“proof that anythin divine
never leaves
without takin somethin with it”
Shit that hits hard with fact
yep. it’s the damn truth
Sheer brilliance, Syr 253👌
You’ve mastered the heartbeat techniques of Free Verse poetry: Imagery, deeply gripping emotion, metaphor, seamless enjambment, syntax; and, except for the distraction of missing “g’s”, your diction and spellbinding flow would be irresistibly captivating to the senses.
“my knees crack
my heart misfires
and my body folds inward
as the light drains out
leavin a thin line of heat
hidin under my ribs
proof that anythin divine
never leaves
without takin somethin with it”
Phew, Poet! Now, that’s how a pen’s supposed to dance….
Perfect title, too.
Good stuff, I’ve said enough … except, a grateful “Thanks!” ⁓ Richard🖌
much appreciated. glad ya liked the title. I was bouncin back and forth between two.
won’t be addin the Gs in tho. I understand why it’s asked of me but…let’s call it my “poetic voice”. it’s how I speak. it’s not carelessness…it’s cadence. it’s rhythm. it’s intentionally informal. keeps my poetry movin. walking feels like a chore…performin a task. walkin feels like motion. and I get where you’re comin from. it’s sloppy. it’s unpolished. looks lazy as fuck. but that’s the point. it’s meant to move. it’s meant to feel lived in. meant to read like it’s spillin out faster than you can take a breath. it’s meant to trip and scrape and bleed. it’s meant to be messy and alive. it’s meant to be human. it’s meant to be me.
Well,
I think you might be able to imagine how us English Lit Grads/Poetry Teacher types are in our heads, eh?
Anally blessed (or, cursed) … LOL!
Sincerely, I love your uniquely original brand of 253 poetry. 👍
lol yes…completely understandable. I consider myself a bit of a non practicin intellectual