facing the winter
of a hearse driven life
you soldier on
with skeletons in the closet
clacking along
the last frost covered leaf
curled and brown, laced with silver,
blows away in the wind
the wind,
there to bite you
sting you,
remind you
of regrets and demons without, within—cackling
in the still-deadness
where your still-living questions
ask if you have left
them behind
they pick lustily
at your flesh, with tempting,
at your mind, with amoebic doubts—
troll-like, in a present-day quagmire
on one side of the bridge; whereupon crossing
you hear a voice
which says to Call This
The Bridge Where You Rename Yourself
And Forgiven, And Worth
Overcomer Being
Names like Loved
Copyright 2012 Jennifer Wagner
Inspiration: Isaiah
62, Revelation 2, and a dream that woke me up
For the prompt at Poetry Jam and for Poets United Poetry Pantry
*Note: this piece doesn't read right on most hand-held devices. For accuracy read on a larger screen.
*Note: this piece doesn't read right on most hand-held devices. For accuracy read on a larger screen.
66 comments:
smiles...this is beautiful...love that bridge in the end...bu the textures and sounds and feels through out...the clacking skeletons, wind biting...ha, love it...
This is a strong poem, Jennifer. I like the image "hearse driven life" and also like the idea of "Call this the bridge where you rename yourself." And....yes....loved! Beautiful final line.
That old devil called self doubt and esteem. Sometimes we have to dig really deep to find where we have hidden our true worth. This is such a lovely metaphor for the long journey of discovery to self.
Beautiful.
Very sensory and beautifully ocmposed! "Loved." Oh, yes. What a wonderful conclusion you reached!
This is really a beautiful write! I loved your ending--so very well crafted!
stunning last line! beautifully written!
thank you for participating at Poetry Jam!
♥
dani
Love, love, love this! What a great sense of hope and redemption at the ending...so well-crafted! Thanks so much for sharing this.
I like the use of the troll bridge, from being skeletal dead to being enlightened and forgiven ~ Creative format of the last words, like a bridge ~
...where your still-living questions ask if you have left them behind ... I found this line the most profound in an exquisitely written poem.
This is awesome. The way you mix a call to salvation (the words) and the visual layout of the poem (with the bridge at the end) is quite clever. Nice work.
You have such a beautiful gift for word weaving. Love this one. And, omg, Seattle! Thank you for sharing.
Thoughtful and thought provoking. You weave and move from simple to complex (in all your poems) with sweetness and magic.
The Bridge Where You Rename Yourself... I love that idea... after the skeletons and regrets and demons... and then the ending... very beautiful and inspiring...
Amoebic doubts...fantastic wording for a thing that spreads...
Wow...this is such a powerful piece...very very creative.The whole ambiance right from the beginning is overpowering, but the concluding lines are riveting! Beautifully penned, Poet:))
This took my breath away, such a nice word-portrait. Wonderfully crafted!
~Sayantini Bhattacharya
another part of me
This poem moving from darkness to light - brought tears - So very beautifully written - A wonderful "wow" of a poem.
So full of description and emotive phrasing - I always feel the need to keep re-reading poetry like this ... an ace.
This is a gorgeous write. The struggle within.
God I know this, live this...
And Redeemed! I'm so glad that when we do have to cross that bridge we will cross it as you say, Forgiven. Isaiah 62 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. The Lord used it at a time in my life when I didn't believe redemption was possible for me. After reading that chapter I knew He could still do something with my life! Great writing Jennifer!
A very emotional piece of writing, displaying the fears within the timeline of life itself..The bridge to be crossed and the moments of redemption when one believes, help is possible.
Eileen
Jennifer, this is stunning writing. With "Facing the winter of a hearse-driven life" I was in awe....then the transformation through chill and memory to finally understanding one is worth being loved - THAT is the journey, my friend, isnt it? A wonderful piece of writing, and a well-made journey. My hat is off to you.
Are there directions to that bridge? Excellent journey, thanks for taking us along.
As a 53 year old woman, I relate to this with enthusiasm! it is so easy to forget that this is a life of lessons and development, of becoming and refinement. You make that clear, here.
Jennifer, you did an outstanding job of writing here! Especially love the ending and how you turned it into an actual bridge--we all deserve to be renamed worthy of love. :-)
I loved this and the bridge is a great idea to connect the threaded thoughts! Spooky good :D
I really enjoyed the idea of a bridge where you rename yourself! Redemption!
I love the imagery and emotion that you bring to life! Great job honey. I'll always be there to cross any bridge, your hand in mine...
That wind made it all so real!
I love your poem...What great writting!!
Thanks Brian--a great compliment :-)
Thanks very much Mary :-)
Thank you very much Bren!
Thanks for coming by Mary Ann and for your kind comment!
Thank you very much Audrey-so appreciate your words.
Thanks Dani! And it was fun to join in :-)
Thanks Mary, so glad you do! And thank you for such a great prompt too.
Thanks Grace, glad you enjoyed those elements; and thanks for commenting on the piece.
Helen, thank you for such a wonderful compliment.
Lo-Fi, thanks so much!
Cotali, a wonderful compliment, I'm honored. And Seattle yes...are you here too? brrr...
Doodles! Miss your poetry...thanks for popping in to comment on the piece!
Hoped it would be...I'm glad you grabbed onto the idea--thanks so much for commenting.
Thanks Jack :-)
What a wonderful compliment Panchali--I'm so honored by your words. Thanks so much for reading and commenting on the piece.
Sayantini-- it's an honor to me that it affected you. I so appreciate your words.
Pearl, it means a lot to me that it touched you. Thank you very much for your kind compliment.
It's a great compliment to read that Pam. Love it when someone considers something I've written worth coming back to--thanks so much.
Rene, I'm glad you came by--and I so appreciate your words. Really means a lot that you connected with this write.
Laura- Thank you for sharing a piece of your story! Awesome, I love it. It's a great chapter and it has spoken to me so deeply too. I appreciate your thoughts and words so much.
Thanks very much Eileen, glad you came by!
Sherry, I am truly so honored by this comment of yours. I'm touched by your words of understanding--I know from reading your works, which I regularly enjoy and admire, that you "get" the journey. Thanks!
This is absolutely beautiful and expertly written. I love the form of the bridge at the end as well.
Directions you say? I would point you to Isaiah 44:22, Isaiah 62, Luke 7:36-50 and Colossians 1:13-23 -- and the God I found who delights in redeeming the screwed up types like me. When I needed a new name, instead of the ones I’d lived by…worthless, failure, corrupt…He gave me one. Still reminding myself to accept it and the love He shows me through the people in my life who believe it when I don’t. It is my journey. Hope you find redemption on yours. Thanks rch—I so appreciate you coming by to comment!
It is indeed, isn't it Kim? Thanks so much for sharing some of your hard-earned lessons, I so appreciate your words.
Sara- thank you! Your words are encouraging!
:-D thanks Ella, very much!
Glad you do Barbara! It's a practice I'm trying to live by when the names I hear in my head are, well, not exactly encouraging. Thanks for commenting on it!
Aww, you melt me. Thank you...and you know I mean that more than I have words for - yet. :-D
Ouch, that wind! Thanks Rosemary!
wow, thank you!
Such a great compliment Lolamouse--thank you very much.
This is one of the most beautifully written poems I have ever read. A haunting caption of the long road to self discovery. Absolutely love this!
the starting line took my breath away...
Wow. I am so honored by these words of yours Lisa. I am sincerely humbled and touched more than I can say. Thank you.
Thanks so much chips, glad it moved you. Thanks for coming by!
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