Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fishbones

My spine stiffens before the devouring:
Close eyes, feel nothing, not even disgust
Hardening becomes the norm, factor & given
Picked clean to the bones, I gather my salt

At night, weave & cast net for words & foam
By the light of harvest moon, flesh & fins quiver
There is partaking of a different kind: deep
Nourishing blood, spewing poison rotting the lungs




Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - OpenLinkNight ~  Thanks for the visit ~ 
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52 comments:

  1. Pat HattSeptember 17, 2013 at 2:24 PM

    Lung rot would hurt a whole lot lol many levels to this one, nicely done

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  2. Optimistic ExistentialistSeptember 17, 2013 at 2:38 PM

    This poem reminds me of how parts of us can slowly erode over time if we're not careful.

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    1. GraceSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:43 PM

      Yes, if we allow circumstances ~ Thank you Keith ~

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  3. ClaudiaSeptember 17, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    oh heck.. the stiffening...feeling nothing.. to me speaks of some sort of emotional death which is probably worse than real death.. it's tough to find that thawing point again then...

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    1. GraceSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:43 PM

      But we always try to find that point to replenish us, don't you think ~ Thanks Claudia ~

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  4. MarySeptember 17, 2013 at 3:02 PM

    This poem has a very dark feeling to it, Grace. "Poison rotting the lungs" is a very visceral image.

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    1. GraceSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:45 PM

      Yes, dark Mary but the ending is not meant to be ~ Thanks ~

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:03 PM

    dark for you, Grace...

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    1. GraceSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:46 PM

      The theme yes, as I like experimentation ~ Plus the imagery points towards such darkness ~

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  6. Glenn ButtkusSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:09 PM

    Is there love lost,or just vitriol spilling out in dark puddles? We do hear & feel you with this dark tome, and applaud your brevity & bravery. Thanks.

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  7. Laurie KolpSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:10 PM

    Very thought-provoking, intense... so many vivid images... beautiful, Grace.

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  8. Kathryn DycheSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:10 PM

    . . . Nourishing blood, spewing poison rotting the lungs, dark and I like it.

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  9. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:16 PM

    I read this, probably mistaken, as gleaning inspiration from the bones through a kind of divination.>KB

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  10. Katie Mia FrederickSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:21 PM

    Light wil ignite youbones..I shared that from coldplay by the way..

    wil..With i love

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  11. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:27 PM

    Darkness is engraved in these words. It made me think. Apt metaphors here... very well-written.

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  12. steveroniSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:31 PM

    This sounds "vampirish" to me--guess it's "in the blood"...
    Grace, you just don't give an impression of "blood-spilling,
    poison-spewing, lung-rotting type person... but yoou sure get across a message of darkness, like hell-on-earth type of thing.

    YOU know how to write Ma'am!

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  13. Robert Gibson: PWES EditorSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:50 PM

    Wow.... this is a deep piece. Love it!

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  14. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:55 PM

    very intense..your words touch my soul..

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  15. ruthSeptember 17, 2013 at 3:57 PM

    Visceral, Grace...

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  16. Ray SharpSeptember 17, 2013 at 4:01 PM

    I love the fish/fisher of words theme here

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  17. MargaretSeptember 17, 2013 at 4:28 PM

    ...not even disgust.

    That is the most disturbing part for me. How numb one can become, how desensitized.

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  18. Brian MillerSeptember 17, 2013 at 4:29 PM

    whew...what a close on this one grace...that last line is a stunner....nice use of the bones as well...the picked clean and salt line is cool too...i like the bit of a turn between the two stanzas as well....

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  19. Steve KingSeptember 17, 2013 at 4:29 PM

    Grace,
    What a riddling piece this is! I see it as distinguishing between the things we are forced to do to live (Hardening becomes the norm factor & given Picked clean to the bones)and the gathering of salt, nourishment and satisfaction from weaving the net that gathers words. Can it be that the other partaking, the "deep nourishing blood, spewing poison rotting the lungs" is a figure about the frustration of finding the wrong things in our net???? Or maybe a scary examination of the motives and genesis of what we pull from out dark seas? Not sure. Forgive me if I'm over analyzing. I'm going to have to come back for another visit.
    Steve

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    1. GraceSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:51 PM

      I love your interpretation Steve ~ Yes, you captured the first part of my emotional state hence, the vulnerability then the hardening of the skin ~ The second part is a contrast, a redemption of my core by gathering my nourishment and weaving the words close to me ~ In partaking of the meal, I feel nourished, filled again, reborn if you will after spewing out the poison from my lungs ~ I appreciate your thoughtful comments ~

      Delete
  20. ayalaSeptember 17, 2013 at 4:44 PM

    Grace, a great piece.

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  21. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:12 PM

    Very hard-hitting in its strength and brevity, Grace. Formidable!

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  22. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:13 PM

    A powerful and dark poem with vivid imagery!

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  23. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:18 PM

    A surrealist poem with a hint of perfection at its best. :)

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  24. brudbergSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:31 PM

    Very dark for being you... and the metaphors are stunning.

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  25. Gloria BakerSeptember 17, 2013 at 5:47 PM

    this sounds so good Grace!!

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  26. Mystic_MomSeptember 17, 2013 at 6:56 PM

    Wow...this is very good.

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  27. Lisa A. WilliamsSeptember 17, 2013 at 7:10 PM

    A very powerful piece Grace!

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  28. TruedessaSeptember 17, 2013 at 8:07 PM

    picked clean to the bone..certainly have felt that pain before..

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  29. LaTonya BaldwinSeptember 17, 2013 at 8:11 PM

    felt this one. enjoyed.

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  30. mrs mediocritySeptember 17, 2013 at 8:27 PM

    I love the play off Kathryn's painting.... Your poem uses words to paint the same picture. Dark, perhaps, but filled with truth and life and survival.

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  31. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 8:44 PM

    A dark and heavy piece indeed Grace and a little different - which is a good thing. I like to see us as writers expand our horizons. Your words complimented the picture perfectly. This was delightfully dark.

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  32. HisFireFlySeptember 17, 2013 at 9:22 PM

    "There is partaking of a different kind: deep"
    powerful line, I can sink in here

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  33. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 9:40 PM

    Very entertaining and I just got back from fishing, hold the salt, and all I caught was a lovely sunset. Enjoyed this very much!

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  34. the walking manSeptember 18, 2013 at 7:53 AM

    Going to the seas where none but the bold go, bringing metaphor and imagery from places many fear to tread, the inner sea. Let the lungs rot, you have no need of them there anyway.

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  35. kaykualaSeptember 18, 2013 at 8:45 AM

    flesh & fins quiver
    There is partaking of a different kind: deep
    Nourishing blood, spewing poison rotting the lungs

    It's a chilling kind of feel. It gives some sense of loss but is still aware of bad times to appreciate it better. Nicely Grace!

    Hank

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  36. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2013 at 10:47 AM

    beautiful, evocative imagery and metaphor.

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  37. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2013 at 1:39 PM

    Wonderfully painful descriptive detail!

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  38. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2013 at 7:46 PM

    Corruptive flesh [mortality's reality], blood is life -giving yet, deathly as well ... a continuous paradoxical vision for me. Exceptional writing, as you know friend ~Debbie

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  39. KarenSeptember 19, 2013 at 6:03 AM

    Feeling picked clean is not a good thing, but I love your stiffened backbone and resolve to cast your net for words...and foam. Ephemeral and visceral at the same time, Grace.

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  40. SaravSeptember 19, 2013 at 6:24 PM

    Grace, you have such a gift for imagery--love that gather my salt-cast net for words and foam :-)

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  41. UnknownSeptember 20, 2013 at 7:13 AM

    Nicely layered visuals in this, Grace. Captivating read.

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  42. Vanessa Victoria KilmerSeptember 20, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    This feels like the cycle of life.

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  43. EllaSeptember 20, 2013 at 10:47 PM

    I agree so many layers-it felt powerful and dark!
    The last line is so vivid I can feel the salted brine
    sting~
    Great job

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  44. OutlawyerSeptember 21, 2013 at 7:40 AM

    This felt like the death and reincarnation of a fish--perhaps in a modern river - your language quite riveting -- hooking--thanks, Grace. ( This is Karin - Manicddaily--blogger's eaten one comment so sticking to blogger ID.) Have a great day. k.

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  45. DEZMONDSeptember 21, 2013 at 8:22 AM

    now this was an intense one, Grace

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