DANGLING PARTICIPLE

Rushing to nowhere....

DANGLING PARTICIPLE

Glancing in the mirror as I pass by,
I could almost swear I saw the artist's
speed lines drawn behind me as I
rush through the gnarled moments of my day.

It's as though I'm jumping on cue
through the hoop of myself while
wondering what it would be like to become
someone other than my own mirrors' image.

Wearing a plastic smile whose weight is
being pulled toward eternity, I am nothing
more than my own perceived absence....
a pond without its rippling reflection.

I would ask the pain to go away...
if I knew who I'd be without it.
In an unusual moment of stillness, the cat
curls up beside me like a comma without a pause.

But I'm disconsolate, shivering though
it's not cold, and I feel like the story's
dangling participle as my lips close
over all the words I cannot say.
~~~

Reviews

[Lydia Shutter]

Very different poetry from you. Free verse....you should write in this style more often. The introspection in this one is super. Pain...it is part of who we are. We own it and it shapes a good bit of our personality. Without it, well, we would not be the same, would we? There are some things in life we choose not to talk about, but they still exist. They can not be changed. Wearing a plastic smile can fool the outside world and if you get smiles in return, perhaps the smile on your face will become genuine. I liked this one a lot, Sharon. Lydi**

[Miss Sharon]

Always a joy to have a review from you my dear friend! I am trying to "branch out" and write in different styles and I must admit it is more difficult for me to do free verse rather than meter and rhyme. Probably has something to do with the fact that I am a musician. Thanks for your support of my "stuff." ~Sharon

[B. Boileau]

Wow. Look at you ... I really like this!
To me you've somewhat described living a life within a life. Plastic smiles to hide pain. But without the pain would the pleasure be the same?
I'm with you on the difficulties of not having rythm and ryhme. Everytime I try it it feels weird. Always a pleasure to read your stuff!
bill

[jacob erin-cilberto]

reminds me of the Talking Heads' song "road to nowhere"

was actually humming that as i read this....love the use of language..."the comma without a pause"

the pain we amass as we go through life belongs only to us...and it does make us who we are...part of me wonders what it would have been like to have a different life, without all the pains there were...but then i would not be who i am ...i would be just a dangling participle myself...or a pronoun with no real antecedent ....

j.

[Miss Sharon]

Your interpretation of my intentions are spot on Jacob. Thank you so much for your beautiful review and support of my "stuff!" ~Sharon

[Tom]

Self doubt can haunt us at anytime, perhaps it's a kind of brake-lever to slow down ego driven momentum, something like a reality check ?

An interesting piece of poetic introspection !

[Miss Sharon]

Thank you very much for a wonderful and perceptive review of this write Tom! You are appreciated. ~Sharon