Skin
Tonight, I peel indifference from my face
and hang it up for tomorrow.
Ice is melting. A flood will take me soon
as my body tries to mend. A two-inch puddle
of regret is enough to drown in.
I can never go home again.
One day, I might rent a floor in a busy city.
I might spread my nerves around just enough
to find them.
I will step quickly, palpitate on
hard wood, and scrub off old footprints
that walked there before me.
Empty space for my Self to rot in.
I will peel the skin of potatoes and think
of the last time I kept someone warm,
and like my face, I will lay the skin aside,
to shrivel and dry, as I,
and home will become so long ago,
from a place where my body was fresh, but cold,
from a time when a young man whispered his flames
against my bare shoulder, and
I fell in to him and froze.
Posted on December 18, 2012, in Poetry, Uncategorized and tagged Dying, emptiness, growing old, heartbreak, intimacy, Literature, loneliness, love, poetry, Regret, Relationships, writing. Bookmark the permalink. 25 Comments.
Incredible ~ just awesome
My Personal Favorite!
…so far.
So sad but true and I could see it all until the last line…… When my life slapped me in the face and I froze too
powerful, as always!
You tend to astonish me, like now.
you are an amazing writer
I keep reading that last line, very powerful image, very good word structure. I’m very fond of lines that seem to change each time you re read.
Oh. My. Dear. Maggie. Beautiful and sad.
Completely unrelated, but the title in your header reminds me of William Carlos William’s “This is Just to Say.” It actually is related because you have a way of taking the ugly events/items in life and beautifying them just like him.
Oh wow. I haven’t heard of that before. I’m going to check that out. Thank you so much
You should and you’re welcome.
Great poem, and yes it reminded me of William’s too, how bizarre that someone else knows it! Thanks for dropping by, I’ll make sure I keep reading. x
beautiful words
This is incredible! You have such a gift for a fine use of words. Makes my heart stop.
What a beautiful story!
fire & ice….hit me like a ton of bricks…..wow, wow, wow
This is brilliant, especially your use of images. Something is happening to your poetry and I like it – a kind of coming together. I liked your poems before, but this even more.
Beautiful <3
Honey, I’ll live in that busy city with you. You bring tears to my eyes.
So are you. Your words move me. I’m sorry been reading you.
This is why I share them. It means so much to me. Thank you!
Anytime honey.
You invariably come up with the most disturbing images – that at once repel and draw me in. Funny that you make them beautiful and exquisite.
WOW…brave and beautiful.