Graham's Mother

A mother's greatest sin

“I'm not mad. I'm just...well, differently moraled, that's all.”  - Jasper Fforde (The Eyre Affair)

But that’s dainty!

Neat and square-

Perfect for my little Graham.

Snuggle up, sonny!

 

Mud pulps

And

Shoveled vines of periwinkle,

All tawny and soaked

In nocturnal drizzles.

Must I say!

They found it easy to dig!

 

A cortege

Of umbrellas

And

Charcoal blazers.

Silken scarves,

Nods- brusque and terse

Tom-tom in

The Nordic winds.

 

You hug me too tight, Irma!

(Big, fat bubblegum tears)

Pity!

Look darling!

What I brought you!

Lucas Jr. - the Golliwog

Sorry, his nose fell off

But he had a fight

With Nyra -

Martha’s Tinkerbelle fairy

Here - the Mandrake comics

All thirty-three of them!

And yes!

These gladioli-

Aunt Yvonne sent them.

 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”

 

Tut! Tut!

Father Prescott is too loud!

 

Cassandra!

Pull down that birdcage veil!

No peek-a-boo!

These opera gloves- A complete giveaway!

Translucent satin strands

Playing spoil-sport

Betray

The amethyst stains

Of the Belladonna potion

That you spiked

 In his cranberry juice.

Wriggle your fingers!

Cover up!

 

(Last kisses and goodbye)

 

It’s all right honey!

The cherubs

On the headstone

Will sing you lullabies.

And I’ll send Martha along.

Promise!

(Cross-my-heart)

 

So long sweetheart!

 

So long!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This is a dark, evil write I came up with. ( I honestly don't know what made me write this. I'm a fairly happy person). It's about a mother who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or Split personality (though I am not sure about the categorization). She simultaneously goes though different conversations in her head ( the reason I have used different fonts to indicate the different entities she converses to) which eventually reveals the heinous crime she commits being a mother.
Your views will be appreciated :)

I am adding an explanation of certain symbolism, imagery and verses I have used in this poem. ( I didn't originally intend to, but I'm doing so in case you found this difficult to interpret)

"THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT" : This is a verse from the bible. This means that you are content with what the Lord has given you. This verse is often recited at funerals and cremation.

BELLADONNA POTION: Belladonna is a plant which has both medicinal and poisonous properties. It has purple or amethyst colored flowers. The foliage and the berries of the plant are extremely poisonous and can be used to make deadly poisons.

CHERUBS: They are sort of baby or toddler angels. You often find their engravings on children graves.

GOLLIWOG: ( I'm including this explanation after some feedback from my readers) A golliwog was a black character you would find in children's books by English authors. It was also commercially produced as dolls. It had had run into some racism issues. However I use it in my poem simply as a connotation for a toy. There's nothing more to it.

I have included these explanations for a better understanding of this piece (in case you didn't know what they meant). These are some of the key elements that weave the plot of this piece and finally makes the story evolve. I'm not revealing the plot.. but all I can say is that if this would have been written as a story, it would be a murder-mystery. Hope this helps.. Enjoy the read and please let me know if you liked it.. :)

Reviews

[Ees]

It's rather creepy. I feel like I can hear a tinkling chime of a music box playing, if you know what I mean...
I did find this a bit hard to understand, though I got the references that were explained in the Author's Note... it was, I don't know the disjointedness... maybe that is what left me a bit mystified. There was nothing specific that confused me...
But I don't think that'll bother you, as it adds to the creepy quality and I believe that you acomplished what you set out to do.

[Pratik]

Thank you for the review.... Yes I wanted it to be a bit under the wraps...
I don't believe I'm doing this but I will leave you a clue here...
Read them sequentially...

Mother -> Graham (her son) -> mud, black coats, funeral speeches (the setting) -> toys, books, flowers (parting gifts)->(**flash-back) belladonna (poison)->cranberry juice( the spiked drink) -> cherubs( tombstone -the scene closes)-> Martha (her next victim)..

Now what do you make out of this? can't say any more ;) :D

[Ees]

Nah, I got it... sort of. I am not very good at explaining where I was confused. This happens to me all of the time and it always turns out that I wasn't really confused, lol, maybe I use the wrong word? I get the disturbed mother thinking of things for the son that she killed.

[Arielle Ann]

you have the capacity to deliver an excellent write on a variety of ideas..and as I am continuing reading you, I am growing amazed at the rate you are progressing....this write almost seemed like one of a professional...coming to the write , you explained the mind of a multiple personality person in the best possible way .... I enjoyed the change in fonts at just the relevant places...and thanks for the explanation of terms, else I would have to open google :)

[Pratik]

Thank you so much Anisha... I feel humbled by your words.. :)

[Mark]

I thought it was great. Sort of in the style of James Joyce, but more understandable LOL. The use of the different fonts fit very well, and the creepiness of a mother who kills... well, pretty darn creepy! Good work :)

[Pratik]

Thanks Mark .. you made my day :)

[Dayran]

An early and ancient tale of the birth of the first tree in the world. Can't say for certain if the idea that was put into the ground had a gender relation or whether it was the son or the mother.

Graham may well be the epitome of all our creative endeavors, raised by a mother and brought into birth in the world. I don't think its macabre at all. Not everything buried implies death. It may just as likely refer to regeneration.

[Pratik]

Thank you.. Your review always make me thing my writes through different glasses... and this time was no exception.. Thanks once again :)

[Leslie Philibert]

Aaran writes very well, this is a poem full of surprises that made me think of James Joyce, very literate, sometimes obscure in an interesting way, like the structure too.A poem full of vivid images, looking directly at thought and association - excellent.

[Pratik]

Thank you Leslie... Thanks for the wonderful review :)

[Baby Ricochet]

I laughed, I cried, I passed gas. I loved it. Great Job!

[Pratik]

Thank you Baby Ricochet... :)

[Robbie~xoxo~]

This is chilling... something very different, indeed! You always throw me a curve ball Aaran, with your creative writing. Such an intense piece...what evil lurks in the mind of this scary woman! Your author's note is very helpful, it gives a full background to the story/poem. Well penned!

[Pratik]

Thank you Robbie.... I am so very glad you liked it.. Hope you are doing well!!

[Michael Thrower]

Wow, this is going on my reading shelves. This is just awesome, and I love the annotations you put in the note :P Very very nice, you're great! How am I just now reading your work? Shame. I'm going to go read all of your stuff now.

[Pratik]

Thank you Michael.. That made my day... Feel free to read as you would like.. i too would like to go through some of your work.. :)

[Sheila Kline]

It is interesting to follow the conversations of "self" with "self" and with then another "self" as the mother takes care of her little sweetheart! Madness is just that - a condition that causes one to lose all reason and respond to the voices in one's head.
You have done an excellent job of portraying this mother as one who at a glance might appear to be doing all out of love, but then???? She was indeed quite the mother of all demented mothers!!
Your descriptions are useful - but needed to read the review below to discover what a golliwog was.
I like it............I really like it as it is quite different!

[Pratik]

Thanks Sheila for the wonderful review... I am adding that explanation about the golliwog to the author's note.. Thanks for the suggestion :)

[Claire Twinn]

Weird but fun Aaran, I did find it a bit confusing but got the general idea of madness/different voices. She sounds like a very rich lady of olden days who perhaps finds it too hard to 'keep up appeareances'.

[Pratik]

Thanks Claire... :) Did you go through the author's note? That might have made certain things clearer.... I'm not revealing what the plot is about.. but all I can say is that if I would have made a story out of this, it would be a murder-mystery ;)