Knees Like Islands

At last, a long bath.....

         

Lock the door, peace at last

 Peace from the world, from the children from him

  Breathe in the steam, cleanse the head

   Light the candles

    Misty flames flicker in warm currents

   Turn off the taps

  And the light

 A drop of lavender to scent the air

Radio softly on, Sinatra sings for time gone by

 Hair up in a clip

  Gown drops to the floor

    Into the welcoming warmth of the water, like coming home, supported

   Easing down, water lapping at my neck,

  Knees like islands in the ocean, bubbles cling to skin like surf to sand

 Close my eyes.

 

Have I been asleep? Water cooler, turn the hot tap with my toes

 Feel the heat seep up my body. Where did I go?

  Thoughts clarified while I slept, mind transparent like water

   Now so obvious yet still obscured, like looking beyond a reflection

    Peering behind a shadow

   Oblivious to now, but now I see.

 

  Thin silver sliver in the soap dish, held between thumb and finger

 Not across like the films, but always lengthways, certain, sure

Not a cry for help, a cry for silence, a plea to quiet the voices

 

 I flow out to surround my body

   Watching candles flicker and dim…

 

Reviews

[Patient Poet (Yos)]

I loved it, you take your readers to your lovely bath, preparing the sweet relaxing place and surprise with the twist in the end, wonderful, thanks for sharing on my contest Yossi

[Ari]

I fought to dislike this, for some reason, and couldn't. My only suggestion would be to exchange "gown" for something else, as it sounded kind of pretentious. Who actually wears a gown anymore? Other than that, beautiful piece.

[Tessa]

I loved this. Especially the last three stanzas. It's been so long since I've actually had the time to take a bath. haha... I'm so jealous.

[Constance]

The end was quite a surprising twist, since the rest held such vivid and beautiful imagery. This is an excellent piece. The format works nicely, too, creating a soft, sensual flow... down to those final moments. Brilliantly written.

[Samuel Dickens]

You almost made me want to abandone the quick manly shower and take a bath like that. "Knees like islands"----mine would look like volcanic islands--all rough and mis-shapen.
The imagery you created is vivid, your reason for having that bath is clear, and I, personally, think you deserve it. The taking of long scented baths is one of the things I find so appealing about women.