Dusty Corners of Your Soul

Something a friend showed me poked at my muse with a stick.

The attic of your being is

nothing like what I imagined.

The slanted ceiling is low and

pierced by the pointy ends of the

nails that keep the flawless

exterior in place. That which

binds the outside allure can

be a hazard to those who

venture into the dusty corners

of the attic of your soul.

The layer of dust is thick,

there are a few sets of footprints

but whoever left them did

not venture far inside. I walk

past where those footprints

turn back, to where nothing

is disturbed, to where the cobwebs

tickle my face and make me

flail and shudder with each step.

I go to the lone window at the far

end of the attic, slide the window

open and unlock the shutters.

Light pours in like water filling

a narrow river bed and splashes

onto the floor. Next, I pull the

old blanket off the stack of

boxes ... their contents marked.

Moths scatter. A cloud of decades

old dust spreads, it's particles

dancing in the river of sun.

Some of these boxes you have kept,

I imagine, just for the lessons that

they contain. Disappointment,

Heartbreak, Regret …

Some I see and I admire you for

having put away … Vengeance,

Grudges, Anger …

Another, I suppose, you have simply

put up here for a moment and

forgotten … Hope.

This is the one I have come for.

I shall bring it down for you now,

and as for the others, of course I am

curious and want to know what's in them.

But we'll do that together … in your time.

Reviews

[Kristina Moulaison]

Oh this is good. I love the idea here and I love to walk into the attic of people's hearts, walk around, sit awhile. This part is beautiful...

"Some of these boxes you have kept,
I imagine, just for the lessons that
they contain. Disappointment,
Heartbreak, Regret …

Some I see and I admire you for
having put away … Vengeance,
Grudges, Anger …

Another, I suppose, you have simply
put up here for a moment and
forgotten … Hope."

Goosebumps!... made me smile and sniffle. Thanks for the peek!

[Creepy Swine Guy]

Thank you so much kind lady.

[Neville]

Wow, I will print off and place in that old shoe box in the darkest corner of my own attic when I eventually get down the Christmas stuff for the sake of my kids who are both stopping over to keep their mum and me company this Xmas Richard being 30 & Rebecca almost 21

[bruised orange]

very nice. I especially like the close. How often we pack away hope and leave it forgotten in a dusty corner. Much enjoyed.

[FJ Davis]

A man with the talent and taste to create such high quality, truly worthwhile poetry, cannot be the same person who chose your utterly ridiculous moniker.
In any event, amazing!

[Creepy Swine Guy]

Thank you sir. Thank you most sincerely.

[Marie Anzalone]

In dream interpretation, the house is a metaphor for the body, with the floors/ parts of the house corresponding to the parts of the body. The balcony is the chest, the bedroom the sex life, etc. Thus, the attic would be the mind, where all other body processes are driven, analyzed, experienced, and stored. Amazing how a poem about a few filed dusty boxes and their contents does so much in describing the very seat of the human soul. Beautifully penned.

[Brianna Brie]

This is truly an excellent write! Your words do give hope as well. Well said!

[LA Lorena]

CSG, this has got to be the best you have done! I loved all of it, every last stanza more perfect than the last. No critique possible, for it's just right in every way. Favourited, to be sure.

[Creepy Swine Guy]

Thank you LAL ... Your comments are greatly appreciated.

[Emily B]

oh, Jerry! This is the best, you've learned your lessons well. So thoughtful of you to go in search of that thing I need. Maybe I have a pie in the oven to reward your gallant efforts.

[Creepy Swine Guy]

I always treasure your approval EB.

[Emily B]

my muse has something to say, but i think it needs poked with a stick first

[Eve]

omg...when you decide to put pen to poem you really wow me everytime, I know you are a short story writer and a fabulous one at that but every once in a while you dust one off for me and send me into whirls of happiness, Creepy you are a poet damn it! But I guess it's also great to be good at everything :) and don't bother telling me this is rudimentary cause you are way too modest, I love love love this :)

[Creepy Swine Guy]

You are just biased and WAY too kind to old men and their words.

[mikeduty]

Two things occurred to me after the first read. First, it took me back to a childhood experience. We were visiting an aunt and uncle in North Carolina. My cousin had several board games and they were all kept on a shelf as you came into the attic. I remember nosing around in the attic and finding some hidden treasures, like my uncle's old army uniform and some things I wasn't supposed to find (like a stack of Playboy magazines).

Secondly, this reminded me of a quote I heard about how writers and artists bear there souls to the world and take risks by letting others see what's inside of us. This poem is definitely memorable. There are a handful of poems that evoke strong feelings for me. This is definitely one of them.

[Creepy Swine Guy]

Thank you ... :^)