Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A Beginning Invisible to Witness (Poem)

A Beginning Invisible to Witness

How was I to keep
      the pace, his cells breaking

down, my own choke-hold
      on words not loosed fast

enough to complete
      his mantra of hope

rocked by a sickled moon,
      its arc and my aching

over his coming demise
      leaving too much whitespace

to silence containing itself.
      Later, rouged, my lips could be

coached to bloom into May's rosette
      of memories, each turning in

toward the other, each courting
      the curve of fact before and after

the cells completed division, each tracking
      back to a beginning invisible to witness.

© 2011 Maureen E. Doallas
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I offer this poem for the One Shot Wednesday event at One Stop Poetry, which each week invites poets to share, read, and comment on each other's work. Be sure to visit the site late Tuesday afternoon and every Wednesday for links to the many contributors' poems.

23 comments:

Glynn said...

There's a sadness here in the beauty of these words, a sadness in the determination to go on. Beautiful poem, Maureen.

Louise Gallagher said...

Heart-piercingly beautiful.

Thank you my friend. Stunning words and imagery.

Ruth said...

I appreciate the rock and rhythm here, Maureen. It feels the way life feels, with that bloom and then collapse, back and forth. The couplets work well here.

Hannah Stephenson said...

I love how this poem is comprised of is two sentences. There is much that you say with little (one of the strengths of your work, always).

Joyce Wycoff said...

The ache of loss put so beautifully.

Anonymous said...

o the largeness of loss
like a monster
under the bed
hiding
around corners
in pockets
closets
and drawers

Unknown said...

beautiful piece... very vivid

* said...

"rocked by a sickled moon,
its arc and my aching"

--and I am aching reading this beautiful piece, Maureen. Thank you for it.

Laura said...

heartbreaking maureen...such a clear depiction of the pain of loving one who is dying.

Brian Miller said...

there is a deep sadness in that division...wonderfully written though...

Unknown said...

the absolutely heartwrenching song of a loved one left behind.

so well done.

i hope you have found some comfort.

Anonymous said...

Love the word choice, the tone, the line breaks and shape. Powerful and tragic poem.

Anonymous said...

So strong Maureen, a deep breath taken to move forward, felt this so deeply...very powerful ~April

Leslie said...

it is beautifully sad...

Jerry said...

Maureen, I read this over and over and it's cyclical nature broke down cells of grief. I love the economy of words you use in your writing to underline what happens to many, many people who are intimate with life stealing disease, yourself included.

Maureen said...

Thank you all for the many generous comments today. I had thought, perhaps, I had no more to express about my brother's death but as May nears it all floods back and demands attention in the only way I can deal with it: with words.

violet said...

So moving. I especially like that image/thought of the "beginning invisible to witness." So many beginnings are that subtle.

signed...bkm said...

Oh Maureen this takes to where I have been these past few weeks --your words in there sadness express the invisible aspect of disease...taking from us life so silently .....may your writing be healing as your memories return for attention...blessings..bkm

Corbie said...

Sadness and grief, beautifully written. It is often hard to share such pain, thank you for doing it so eloquently.

hedgewitch said...

Subtle yet perfectly plain, like reflections of the moon on still water; excellent, sad, and truthful writing, Maureen--lines like "..each courting the curve of fact..." just stellar use of language.

Bubba said...

I really dig your expression "mantra of hope" -it tells a story in itself.

Another strong piece, Maureen.

S. Etole said...

deeply moving ...

Anonymous said...

your poem is a great tribute to the one you lost, as well to those of us who have lost our own loves to cancer..."rocked by a sickle moon" that one has me for some reason ~ a beautiful line... thank you for sharing~