"Life is the dancer and you are the dance."
Eckhart Tolle

Friday, April 8, 2011

"Windows Change Lives" NaPoWriMo #8 - a broken window

Impact of his fist shattered at the door,
too young to comprehend what was going on,
a locked entrance he couldn’t get through,
fear of being left outside alone

It’s perceivable though I wasn’t there
to witness cut veins pouring their lineage
onto concrete slabs, coagulating at his feet

What lies on the other side,
thinking comfort or love was waiting,
only to be left
disappointed, scared

Stitches, fine filament, stop bleeding, 
wounds heal leaving scars
to build a fortress of splintered slivers,
holding edges delicately together

Nightmares in daytime
Nighttime, it’s impossible to rest 
Inconceivable to tear down
what happened when his fist
went through
the glass


Process notes:
This is a true story about someone close to me.

58 comments:

  1. This is a strong piece - strangely it brings back good, bad and totally comical memories associated with broken glass.

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  2. I admire all the skill and talent that went into making this poem. I hope the nightmare subsides.

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  3. One of your best, I think.

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  4. Neither window nor hearts can ever be perfectly repaired. Great writing, this.

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  5. Excellent, Pamela... and I agree... one of your best!

    ~laurie

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  6. Powerful piece. "Holding edges delicately together" is such a great line ...

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  7. Wonderful lines...deep, powerful, profound....

    order of the day

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  8. It seems a scary story? Funny how much our stories were the same, blood, window, stitches, and mending. Well done!

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  9. Understand the nightmare, used to have a few of those kind myself. This is a very powerful piece of writing Pamela, congratulations,

    Elizabeth

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  10. This is a painful work. Well rendered.

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  11. The dispassionate, almost clinical language, really amps up the effect. good one.

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  12. Your poem was constructed with great skill, but oh - the pain in those words. What a nightmare, is right.

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  13. heartfelt,

    many story comes from reality...
    well done.

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  14. A sad scenario for a frightened child. Nice medical verse, medical background?

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  15. A sad, sad story that I hope will eventually have a good resolution. Great write!

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  16. Broken glass can have a comical side to it, Stan, sadly not here.

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  17. Not completely, I'm afraid, Ron.

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  18. Some edges are held together very delicately, Marianne.

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  19. We are on the wavelength, Annell.

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  20. Thanks for the compliment, Elizabeth:)

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  21. When writing it Barb, I had to view from a different angle, so to speak.

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  22. A nightmare for that person, yes, RJ.

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  23. Yes, much does come from reality, Jingle.

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  24. Yes, Mike, two years before deciding I wasn't cut out for it and changed for an art degree.

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  25. It was many years ago, Gloria and things have turned out quite well.

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  26. Pamela, This is excellent. Scars tell our stories. Thank you for sharing this one, glad things have turned out well. I love "pouring their lineage onto concrete slabs."
    ~Brenda

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  27. A powerful and evocative piece

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  28. Pamela, I am speechless. This came alive before my eyes. You truly captured the event in all its horror, as well as the emotional aftermath. Brava! Amy
    ...and here is something silly, in case you need a smile:
    http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/you-said-it/

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  29. Real experiences make the best poetry. Well done!

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  30. Oh, Amy, thanks for the smile with your poem.

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  31. I suppose they do, zouxzoux. Thanks.

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  32. I liked the "fortress of splintered slivers" very much.

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  33. wow - great, great poem! Would you believe I almost wrote a poem about someone close to me who put his arm through a window in a time of great anxiety and upset? I just couldn't gather it. You did a great job here. I hope it was cathartic.

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  34. Strong and heartfelt writing. Well done, Pamela.

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  35. Powerful piece of writing - vivid imagery!

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  36. What a hard hitting piece of work. Your poem brings the event to life but also the impact besides the physical injuries.

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  37. Oh, Pamela. the scene came alive before my eyes. A chilling nightmarish masterpiece. Whew, this piece makes my heart beat fast! I can just feel 'fist through glass.'

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  38. Thanks Mary, I have wanted to write about it before, but could never find the correct words.

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  39. Did we meet pieces of him in another poem of yours I've read? This was very good...honest and hard hitting.

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  40. No, Jeanne, I've never written about him before.

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