damned wings

it's quiet now
    our words

        lived
like butterflies

left to manage
  such sudden brilliance
even those blessed

     with hearts
must die

will you remember
     can you honor

          exercised spirits
can you face
      tomorrow's ghosts
           haunting yesterday's promises
so cavalier

you never had a taste
     for salt
                or  the skin
                of me

the June of us
     must succumb -
beauty bound
           these wings flush quick
           the blood

of our dreams

this nothing life
  of necessary beauty
was never once
             meant to sustain
but dazzle it did
      all the same

Reviews

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Wow...this is quite fantastic, and introspective. I sense a tinge of the forlorn here, which is odd because the piece I just posted (before reading this one) relates in an odd way...haha Great minds think alike, huh?

Anyway, back to the amazing imagery, fantastic word choice, impeccable cadence...and you're probably tired of my praise so I'll just end with "loved it". (even though I would like to know what was going on in that brain of yours when writing this)

[ChemicalMadness]

Love the word impeccable....I've never associated it with cadence....thank you for that! Your piece was fantastic as usual, GF.

[John]

You take the tiredest of metaphors, butterfly/transience, and breath fresh life into it. Each section seems the residue or trace of the insect's wayward flight. I agree with Ed's comment. You choose your words well and you know exactly where to place them for optimum effect.

[emmajoy]

This is what I call a beautiful sadness of words. You offer metaphors and ballads, plus, display an almost too personal peep into your emotions: what was, was beautiful, but ..

'you never had a taste ~ for salt ~ or the skin ~ of me .. .. .. the June of us ~ must succumb - '

[Tree]

If it's real love, those quirks and tastes and smells, just don't matter. And here the poet has expressed it perfectly, how the two must part. Lots of times the poet becomes so fixated on the perfect ending, that they ignore the perfect begging; here, you have both. We can all learn a thing or two from your craftsmanship, a remarkable piece.

[Cool Handless Luke]

awesome poem CM...

the June of us
must succumb -
beauty bound
these wings flush quick
the blood
of our dreams

this nothing life
of necessary beauty
was never once
meant to sustain
but dazzle it did
all the same

about half of the poem is favorite lines! glad i stopped by your page today and see what was new...
a stellar poem!

[DaniElle LaPointe]

Hmmm your formatting is familiar :D like it. Love it. Need it. Thank you for sharing :D
"the June of us"
Niiiiiiiiiiice ;)

[Marie Anzalone]

I never trusted a lover who was too squeamish about salt and sweat and fluid. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, some acts are only dirty when done right. I agree with Ed's assessment of your insight and talent- it is rare and beautiful and wild and deep.

I wonder if sometimes we set things up to be too beautiful and frail? they sparkle and shimmer and dance in sunlight but then get ripped apart when the winds come through. We should seek to make ourselves less tissue paper and more silk.


this was fantastic.

[ChemicalMadness]

Right? I was thinking slightly differently with the salt piece, but I'm so grateful for your eyes on my work and your thoughts in my ears....you've given me quite a gift. Thank you, again.

[Ed Hart]

some (few) people have the feel of poetry coursing through their veins, a practiced ease at stacking words just right, balanced, directional, sturdy...it must be the chemical madness

[ChemicalMadness]

Thank you so much for your words....

[ChemicalMadness]

hopefully you find the stacks still....well, stacked.......it's now formatted as intended. Thanks again for your eyes.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

holy cow...you wrote us...poets like butterflies..live this intense, quick life..and so we wonder...why did we not sustain?

i like the taste of salt part...

sounds similar to what anne sexton wrote about suicide...having a taste for it like salt..

we dazzle with our color then die...wondering if yesterday's promise was fulfilled.

what a ride this was.

[ChemicalMadness]

Perhaps my best compliment ever.....my very first 'holy cow'! Love it!!! Thank you so much, Jacob!