layers
some days you have to peel back some skin
just to be certain who you are.
the pretty face you put on for the world
can only disguise so much
and then the mystery starts bleeding through
the edges, those places that are frayed
and torn, held together with yellow cellophane
no longer necessary to hold that old wound
together, but a comfort of habit just the same.
lift it away and your scars are revealed,
white-edged and deeper than anyone can guess,
even you. smooth planes are only for
the innocent, the unscathed, the empty-handed.
it’s the skeleton that always tells the real
story, dancing alone in the closet like a fool.
at night i can hear the wind whistling
through all the cracks and patches
in my heart, and every so often
the sound finds a way to mimic
the cut of yesterday’s knife.
.
.
.
this post is part of dVerse poets Open Link Night, join us!
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March 6th, 2012 at 7:54 am
wow….what is there to say about skeletons, knives, and whistling wind?
as always, you keep my bones on their toes.
March 6th, 2012 at 9:20 am
This one touches all the senses, even ones I can’t name.
Love the new penciled-in icons and statement also.
March 6th, 2012 at 10:27 am
stellar opening stanza…so true…and it does bleed out around the edges no matter how we try to hold it in place…def some gritty language but it really accentuates this well…the wind whistling through the cracks is a great auditory touch too…
March 6th, 2012 at 10:46 am
Wow, some days you put voice to my own thoughts and feelings. At times it scares me, it’s as though you can see what others can’t.
March 6th, 2012 at 11:19 am
…dancing alone in the closet like a fool”
WOW. your words always touch me in some fashion. but this..THIS ONE, all these sentences cut deep into the inner self. absolutely, absolutely…
oh my.
in my fondest…
Tilda
March 6th, 2012 at 11:29 am
whew….this grabs a hold of a lot of “STUFF”
March 6th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
My God. So poignant, so very close to home. I feel that wind howling through my cracks and patches even now.
March 6th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
a lot of symbols that all lead to that knife at the end
March 6th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Wow! Powerful poem. I just dropped by from dVerse. Well done.
March 6th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
No matter how much we try to disguise will show through at some point, must be an awful big closet too in order for a dance to ensue..haha
March 6th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Phew… they say the first cut is the deepest but, it depends on where the cut is and, what made it I guess. This is so full of hurt and raw emotion and, I can honestly say, I’ve felt those cuts myself at times too.
Fabulous imagery, fabulous write.
March 6th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
dang – love it –the whole piece but esp. the closure is very powerful…also..held together with yellow cellophane.. that’s an image that will stick with me…
March 6th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Excellent. The last five lines could stand on their own as a poem.
March 6th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Absolutely love this. “It’s the skeleton that always tells the real story, dancing alone in the closet like a fool.” Brilliant, and so true to life it grabs ones conscience before ones heart. Thoroughly enjoyed.
March 6th, 2012 at 4:44 pm
A broken heart bleeds. That was brutal…in a good way!
Cheers,
Mark Butkus
March 6th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
“at night i can hear the wind whistling
through all the cracks and patches
in my heart, and every so often
the sound finds a way to mimic
the cut of yesterday’s knife.”
This was a great, unexpected kick at the end of a great poem.
March 6th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Peeling away at the thin scab that holds back the blood–it’s hard to resist that itch. Intense imagery, fine writing.
March 6th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Lovely! And so strangely apt today.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
March 6th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
the pretty face you put on for the world
can only disguise so much
and then the mystery starts bleeding through
the edges, those places that are frayed
Such an intense write–that being said–this piece just resonates with me–I am not sure what that says about me and my pain–
Thank you!!
March 6th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Man, that first stanza punched me in the gut. So true, and so beautifully put. Gorgeous poem, and the photo is perfect.
March 6th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
speak it! a person can only hide for so long… if the world doesn’t break you… it certainly won’t be long before you start cracking yourself. great write!
March 6th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Oh, I think you know how this piece just sings to me. The more I peel, the more scared “they” get. But it’s all or nothing for me this time around, and I’m am so ready to offer up my skeleton as sacrifice so I can lose myself in the ink guilt free. (That’ll be the day!) Wicked weave Ms.M…one that is MUCH MORE than a mere random ramble. LOVED IT!
March 6th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
so much depth to this… great pic for the poem
March 6th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
through all the cracks and patches
in my heart, and every so often
the sound finds a way to mimic
the cut of yesterday’s knife………..
Great lines here!
March 6th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Wonderful poem. The idea of the self below the face really well described, but what to me was most original and powerful was the close–the cut of yesterday’s knife–Agh. So immediate, pain and sound whished through air. K.
March 6th, 2012 at 10:43 pm
How do you do this? You’re amazing.
March 6th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
oh my god, but this was a hard one to read, every word a pinprick against my skin, and more. a vibration of the pin. this touches me everywhere.
March 6th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Love this one! Your play with words is like magic.
March 7th, 2012 at 6:31 am
What great pictures here…the cumulative effect of these couplets is very powerful. The last two give a great windup. Nice work.
March 7th, 2012 at 9:38 am
you know, i think it’s true….we do hide behind ourselves. often.
not sharing with some, while sharing with everyone.
xoxo
March 7th, 2012 at 2:06 pm
poignant and powerfully introspective piece…
really enjoyed this.
March 7th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
“the sound finds a way to mimic
the cut of yesterday’s knife”
Oh my gosh, isn’t THAT the truth?!
Thank goodness for endless supplies of Bandaids. 🙂
March 8th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
dancing alone in a closet like a fool… Wow, you really put it out here. Excellent work
March 11th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Thank you, for something so beautiful, so gentle, so kind. I’m grateful and touched.
March 12th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
this one captivates me, takes my breath away, stops my spinning . . . at least for a little while.