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.
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23 comments:
There's a sadness here in the beauty of these words, a sadness in the determination to go on. Beautiful poem, Maureen.
Heart-piercingly beautiful.
Thank you my friend. Stunning words and imagery.
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.
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).
The ache of loss put so beautifully.
o the largeness of loss
like a monster
under the bed
hiding
around corners
in pockets
closets
and drawers
beautiful piece... very vivid
"rocked by a sickled moon,
its arc and my aching"
--and I am aching reading this beautiful piece, Maureen. Thank you for it.
heartbreaking maureen...such a clear depiction of the pain of loving one who is dying.
there is a deep sadness in that division...wonderfully written though...
the absolutely heartwrenching song of a loved one left behind.
so well done.
i hope you have found some comfort.
Love the word choice, the tone, the line breaks and shape. Powerful and tragic poem.
So strong Maureen, a deep breath taken to move forward, felt this so deeply...very powerful ~April
it is beautifully sad...
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.
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.
So moving. I especially like that image/thought of the "beginning invisible to witness." So many beginnings are that subtle.
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
Sadness and grief, beautifully written. It is often hard to share such pain, thank you for doing it so eloquently.
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.
I really dig your expression "mantra of hope" -it tells a story in itself.
Another strong piece, Maureen.
deeply moving ...
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~
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