Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Fifteen Minutes to Count Down (Poem)

Fifteen minutes to count down.

Who thinks of the final approach
          to the last minute

when you're right
          that moment still taking

your sixty breaths
          in a whole second

uninterrupted
          by the invisible work

of lungs and heart
          and brain keeping

score? What more could you
          want to see

that your eyes
          haven't already

recorded in color,
          your iris contracting

and dilating,
          both letting in

and keeping out
          the light?

How much better
          might bread taste

in your mouth
          once the salt

of so many tears
          has crusted, forming

a mountain you're climbing
          to heal?

Where would you choose
          to feel the heat

most, love into tenderness
          the rough patch

and scar lines no longer
          red in anger?

When would you hear
          the coda? Tell me soon

enough I can know
          you can hold out

your hand
          and let go.

© 2011 Maureen E. Doallas
_________________________

In a first for me, I've decided to take up the #Trust30 challenge, an online writing initiative that promises 30 inspirational prompts that encourage participants to "look within" and "reflect on your now".  A compilation of the prompts is here. Pledging is ongoing.

The prompt for this poem is from Gwen Bell:

15 Minutes to Live

We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.

1. Set a time for fifteen minutes.
2. Write a story that has to be written.

3 comments:

Violet N. said...

Isn't this an interesting challenge!

I am intrigued by the mountain formed of the crusted salt of tears "you're climbing to heal" and all the 'lasts' presented to us. I come away from the reading with a desire to be kinder to myself. Lovely read!

S. Etole said...

what a challenge ...

I like "you can hold out your hand and let go" ...

Miriyana Mariit said...

I really like the style of the poem, well done and played with pictures! :)
interesting idea of the challenge actually.