Friday, February 02, 2007

My Tears

My tears, like beads in a rosary,
count the wasted decades of love,
scattered shards of memories,
dimples in dust to be swept out.
Explanations are for your ears only,
to me they’re rocks comforting glass.
The blood that spurts from each word I write
will never convict you of a crime, but you
sliced my heart with the steel of another’s lips,
a taken life cries for vengeance.

32 comments:

abcd said...

bitter sweet, beautiful poem.

MB said...

Bitter sweet is right.
sliced my heart with the steel of another’s lips
is a powerful image and "steel" contains a nice double meaning with its homonym.

gulnaz said...

strong and beautiful!!!
the metaphors you have used are so right, loved this one absolutely!

donna said...

a masterpiece of imagery..a strong and moving piece

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

I like the 'tears like beads in a rosary' it's as if they're a penance

floots said...

great write pat
like mb i picked on that line
hope that writing it helped you too

Kai said...

beautiful

Joyce said...

Heartrending, Pat!

Neoma said...

rocks on glass, sounds like most of my relationships......great expression here. I won't pretend I fully understand, but I always come away thinking......

polona said...

powerful write!
i'm with mb and floots, sliced my heart with the steel of another’s lips is a great line!

Masago said...

Yowser!

JaneDoughnut said...

Ouch. It hurts my heart just to read.

Sorry I haven't been by in several days. This is an amazing example of the things I miss when I don't read your blog.

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

wow! this is powerful -- almost makes me feel that I shouldn't be looking -- it's so personal.

trinitystar said...

Great powerful writing. Superb!
Another strong wonderful poem full of imagery. :o)

scattered shards of memories,
dimples in dust to be swept out. Do we though, that is sweep them out? :o(

Rethabile said...

Yeah, this is a reconciliation of bitterness (the feeling in the poem) and sweetness (the vehicle of that feeling). Cool. I also like the tight control on structure but that lets the poem breathe.

gautami tripathy said...

Tears are cleansers of the heart and soul...

Very, very powerful! Touched...

Russell Ragsdale said...

This is down right confessional!!!! This is life like I like it, kisses and tears that wear no disguises. Poetry is, I believe, a confessional. I am not talking the school of confessional poetry -- that's another place, here we must tell, as honestly as possible, what was the moment of the poetry not what was the poetry of the moment. Life itself is simply a poorly appreciated poem full of music, illusion (magic) and sensations.

Way to be Pat! Lived it!

nRT said...

Heartfelt poem. I am so glad I found your blog. Your writings are powerful.

Unknown said...

Lovely. I doubt love is ever wasted on anyone or thing and will be returned somehow in some other guise.

Elegantly powerful.

ann said...

potent, stirring, powerful... my goodness; I think we all picked up "the steel of another's lips" it certainly cut me to shreds evoking bitter tearful memories.

Cathy said...

Oh, That was lovely, Pat.

Anonymous said...

Love it, Pat! It revives the pain we've all felt at one time, bleeding out with no tourniquet for our emotional hemorrhage. It reminds us of the fragility of the heart and strength of words and actions.

dsnake1 said...

lovely!

"rocks comforting glass."
this one rocks. :)

Amalendu said...

great poem Pat...

Pris said...

Beautiful poem, Pat, and so very well written. This speaks to so many!

Borut said...

Pwerful! This is real. Caught in blood and tears?

Anonymous said...

I am speechless.
steel steal stole...on another's lips.
Though I agree with Mikaelah, love is never wasted, though it can cause you to bleed.
I pray tenderness on your wounds.

JHS said...

VERY powerful. Amazing imagery.

I just discovered your blog, but will be back. You are very talented.

Pat Paulk said...

Pink Ginger, thank you!!

MB, believe it or not that was intentional. Thanks!!

Gulnaz, thank you!!

Byhisgracealone, thank you!!

Sue, when horrible things happen our first tendency is to blame ourselves, or mine is, then after time to stew on it, the tears turn angry, and sometimes vicious. That was the progression I intended in it.

Floots, this wasn't autobiographical, but I had someone close to me in mind when I wrote it. Thanks!!

Thanks Kai!!

Joyce that was the intent. Thank you!!

Nea, sounds like you understood perfectly!! Thanks!!

Thanks Polona!! You keep good company with those two.

Vaughn, yessir!!

Janedoughnut, you're busy trying to move to Roswell, where the aliens live. You're welcome anytime you can make it. Thanks!!

Andrew, I wrote this in the first person, but it's not about me. I'll take all the WOW's I can get. Thank you!!

Trinitystar, you ask a very good question. Maybe not all the way, but we try like hell, or we should.

Rethabile, never thought of a poem breathing, but I like the thought. Gives them a feeling of life. Thanks!!

Gautami, yes they are. Thanks!!

Russell, WOW!! what a comment. Makes me feel like I got it right. Thanks!!!

Nancy, I'm glad you found it too. Please make yourself at home, and come back anytime. Thank you!!

Mikaelah, I think I agree. Thanks!!

Ann, I'm sorry you have memories of this kind. Hopefully your tears have dried, and you're on a much better path.

Thanks Cathy!!

Hey, Doc H is that you?? Whoever, thank you!!

Dsnake, all the way through the window!! Thanks!!

Thanks Amalendu!!

Thanks Pris!!

Borut, you are right!! Thanks!!

Corey, your prayers are greatly appreciated. The wounds aren't mine though.Thanks!!

Janie Hickok Siess, Esq, I'm glad you found my blog too. Please come back. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

"Hey, Doc H is that you?? Whoever, thank you!!"

Dang Pat, how did you know?
Lainey

Anonymous said...

strong emotions.

MB said...

Oh, I absolutely believe it.