how
to wipe away the stain
that spreads like a
poisoned tattoo
inked inside
this cracked collective skin
insiduous and disease like
which wraps itself about all
like cloaked doom
weighing our lifetime’s blink
this trajectory of soul
arcing to pointless
as dumb gets dumber
patience all hallowed
eve’s daughters arise
and kill the (k)night
– Submission for Hedgewitch’s Friday 55 and for OLN at dVerse
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The title made me think of the way women carry a child, as well as the way some carry a gun–this is an excellent prism for the current time, the current angst, where the poison is almost everywhere. I’m glad you found something in the article–sometimes misery needs company, and it’s good company here. Thanks for playing with us, Paul, and have a kickass weekend.
Interestingly when I was thinking of titling the piece ‘Patriarchy’ I threw the word into an anagram maker and thought this worked really well. The article resonated deeply. In a funk does not even begin to describe it. I’m writing but hanging on by my fingernails.
I won’t even begin to understand this, but I loved the last stanza–
all hallowed
eve’s daughters arise
Thanks Sascha. It is a commentary on the state of the world and a call for the ‘divine’ feminine to rise.
Okay, either I’m confused (and what possibility could there be of that?) or this has undertones of a political bent. Besides that, it reads with a nicely nuanced cadence. I read it three times, if that tells you something, and will probably visit it again before the home bar closes for the evening. Good one, Paul!
I never like to be too overt but there are undertones for sure Charley. It is political, environmental and also an attempt to get at the feeling ( existential as it is) that pervades the world (my world) these days.
You succeeded. I’ve been back a couple times since.
I appreciate your perseverence.
One of the reasons for the calluses on my forehead, I’m afraid. 🙂
“This trajectory of soul arcing to pointless as dumb gets dumber….That just sums it up! Very thoughtful poem.
Thanks Mary. Glad it resonated.
I’m sure it was a fake (k)night anyway. 😉
Fake, real…needs killing. Thanks for dropping by.
Yes, dumb gets dumber… cursed epidemic
The title reminded me too of carrying a child. A dark poem, Paul, with that ‘poisoned tattoo inked inside… insidious and disease like’. The language is so heavy reading it is like being pulled downwards, especially in the line ‘weighing our lifetime’s blink’.
It is heavy and it reflects how I feel about the world. Reading the article linked by Hedgewitch also gave me much to chew over as a writer.
I hope the dumb and dumber would be silenced… knight should not be might.
Indeed.
Carrying a gun implies polarization which is a kind of poison.
There is no gun 😉
I followed the links and read the article and I think I get why we still feel stunned so it must be even worse for those living it every day, like as if everything we fought for has been destroyed almost overnight. So it is dark. Perhaps you are right though, we still have to walk forward and bring back what compassion and sense and even anger and anguish-or who are we- the hollow men. This is the way the world ends.
“This trajectory of soul arcing to pointless as dumb gets dumber..” such a wise description.
Very well written 👏