Dominion

Dominion

 

 

 

He was jealous

of rain that fell upon her

of night when she slept 
for the time it had taken her

away from him.

 

Jealous

of shadow and light,

how intrusively they played upon

a monopoly of skin
sequestering the inventory

of a stare. 

And he was jealous

of other men before him

 

of the prefix of syllables

lying in wait upon her tongue,

 

coveting her every word

like the dominion of a priest

to a confession.

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Richard🖌]

KELLY🍁
Your power of conjecture is sheer brilliance, and this piece proves it -- among hundreds of your others I've experienced the pleasure of over the years.
Free Verse has become your grafted/blended living being, it's that much a part of your essence, and it simply breathes out of your uniquely creative and inventive consciousness in metaphor and imagery, rolling onto the page … leaving us in awe every time.
I mean, "Who else writes,
"And, he was jealous
of other men before him,
of the prefix of syllables
lying in wait upon her tongue,
coveting her every word..."?

Sighhh! ⁓ Richard 🍃

[Kelly Scheppers]

Your insight is always one that reads me well. Thank you, Richard. Your support and kindness are monumental to me.

[Agyani]

I could almost feel the obsession that he possesses for her! Seemed like he is at the point where he cannot appreciate her for who she is, or why he fell for her in the first place. I've always felt these thoughts and emotions are like the dark side from Star Wars: they keep pecking at you and once you listen to their sleazy whispering you're lost in their midst.

I loved this :
"Jealous

of shadow and light,

how intrusively they played upon

a monopoly of skin
sequestering the inventory

of a stare."

[Kelly Scheppers]

Thank you most kindly, Agyani!

[Troy Henson]

Love can be wicked but jealousy can destroy. Some nice word play here 😊

[Kelly Scheppers]

Thank you for your visit today, Troy!

[Benita-Staebell M - Kin..]

Very well played
with the words and
so true

Because jealousy falls away from love
and turns the object of their love into the
a possession not I love you but I want to
control and posses you because I'm jealous
of others and anything touching you.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Thank you, Benita. It's good to see you back!

[Benita-Staebell M - KindredPoet]

I pop in now in then I've been going through
something personal that will finally get handle
after all the toxic junk I went through with him and my family is slowly healing from so much so I'm not on all the time but my life has more peace now and I'm pleased to see you too sweetie you're welcome take care 💛

[barleygirl]

This is beautiful & creepy at the same time, an intensely-conveyed combo! Love it! Jealousy is so destructive & you've shown how insidious it can be. I love your choice of simple elemental things in life, like rain, as objects of this curse. Here's wishing you & your loved ones a Happy Easter! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Kelly Scheppers]

Thank you most kindly, Margie. Hope you have a wonderful Easter holiday! (((hugs))) Kelly

[alanwgraham]

This is a lovely poem Kelly. It's very classy how you have managed to convey how the bitter fruit of jealousy can eat away at relationships. What was a close relationship is turned to dust by the canker of suspicion and paranoia.
It is a sign of good writing when you can achieve this in so few words.
All the best,
Alan

[Kelly Scheppers]

I am deeply moved by your every word, Alan. Thank you most kindly!

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

Is it bizarre that I find this very seductive and slinky....I almost feel like your walking away from him in that sexy black dress and gloves....take off piece by piece and letting them fall to the floor .. your hips swaying and your seduction capturing his every once of being...Never turning around, just knowing that he is following you...He doesn't need to know you...he just needs to have you...all of you.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Hey, that works for me! Love it, girl!!

[emmajoy]

He was jealous .. .. .. of night when she slept - for the time it had taken her - away from him. '

So much of what your poem 'declares' is an emphasis on one person's love. All different, all just a tad unaware or what's desired is often more need than sharing. Perhaps. As ever you put your foot on the pedal and charge into a place where subtlety doesn't quite matter. Yet, honest feelings are better than picture book corners turned down. Possession from either side can steal or at best lessen another person's Self. Thinks: was that what was seen in the first place or..

Drama here, yet some exquisitely phrased thoughts. You always reach that place where thought takes over.. ..

[Kelly Scheppers]

I have a habit of challenging myself every now and then in my poetry. It's wonderful to have such quality of feedback delivered in a most poignant way. Thank you, Em! Much love and light to you my friend!

[emmajoy]

Your words often have, do, challenge me to really look at other people's attitudes over possible possession, excessive need - whatever it can be called. Perhaps one needs look harder, longer. Hugs.

[Kay]

Beautiful poem, Kelly! I adored the notion of his jealousy deepening to "the prefix of syllables/lying in wait upon her tongue". It's romantic in the sense of wanting to become one with every part of her, but disturbing in its possessiveness and insecurity. If you take her away from everything else but him, she is ultimately stripped of everything she needs.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Thank you, Kay. Your words are much appreciated.

[C. M. Miller]

Many men are incredibly vain. Sadly, they don't appear so at first, erecting false windows that women look through and so initially finding him attractive, or intriguing. However, their vanity is their downfall as any astute woman will soon witness the man is more interested in her outward attributes rather than what is behind her eyes. The astute woman will soon discern the difference when a man is either staring at her or gazing; as brilliantly illustrated in this poem.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I love how you brought that to light. A thousand thank yous, Charles!