Thursday, June 27, 2013

Full Circle from the High Road



You asked me how I felt,
after the year gone shipwreck
in the land of the malignant albatross,
and I could never answer you completely—
my chest too constricted, my voice,
mutilated and rasping in the wind.

You asked me how I felt,
and I have found words now,
though I have only wings for yesterday
fitted to fly in a sky I no longer believe in.

You asked me how I felt,
but I will hold my tongue
and watch patiently from my perch
the crow you will have to eat
nesting among wolfsbane and water hemlock,
while I am gaining strength to dip my feathers
and soar above the vultured horizon.

You asked me how I felt
and soon you’ll know
how it feels.



© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

For dVerse where Victoria has us writing anaphora poetry.

*wolfsbane and water hemlock are highly toxic plants.

25 comments:

Brian Miller said...

oh snap...i hear the menace in the voice there in the end...mmm too on the tale...the abandonment, left to survive...yes, perhaps they do need to learn how it felt...smiles...ha, nice job using the poetic device...

Laurie Kolp said...

Smart ending... and I love the first stanza.

Maggie Grace said...

I love the repeating line and your very poetic scathing responses never to be heard...until the time is right. Very nice!

Anonymous said...

Smack! Loved the energy behind this. And that line about dipping feathers, gaining strength. I wish I'd written that. Great use of anaphora, Jennifer.

brudberg said...

Oops the wolfsbane and hemlock sounds like a cold serving... what a platitude the question "how do you feel" can be... Only make thinks worse... great piece

grapeling said...

"vultured horizon" - really like that image and connotations so soon after crow/wolfsbane & hemlock, Jennifer ~ M

Wolfsrosebud said...

this was a bit of a journey for me... lovely phrases: " and watch patiently from my perch the crow you will have to eat" one of my favs

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

though I have only wings for yesterday
fitted to fly in a sky I no longer believe in.

Loved this Jennifer!

Scarlet said...

Love the 3rd verse specially, and the turn in the last one ~ I also like vultured horizon ~

LaTonya Baldwin said...

reads wounded, defiant, triumphant. The movement of the piece comes across honest and therefore meaningfelt.

Wendy Bourke said...

A soaring write with great marine and avian images. Also, you peaked my curiosity on anaphora poetry - only to discover, I've occasionally written it without knowing that the device had a name. Thanks, Jennifer.

Mary said...

Wow, wow, wow! Sometimes it truly is best if one holds one's tongue and watches from one's own perch. Sometimes it is better just NOT to say the words. You used anaphora beautifully.

Lisa A. Williams said...

This is beautiful Jennifer. The strength behind the sadness prevails. Love the second stanza especially, what a weave of words.

Gail said...

Interesting with scary promise.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

WOW! Fantastic write!"fitted to fly in a sky I no longer believe in"....just brilliant!

Vandana Sharma said...

Shows the deep emotion of love and pain

Anonymous said...

Love the twist and strength at the end!

J Cosmo Newbery said...

That has an ominous twist to it!

Claudia said...

oh heck... really well done..love the storytelling in this and the emotions..so palpable...

Justin Lamb said...

I love the attitude in this one. Not revenge but more of a "you'll get yours" kind of thing. Very cool.

kaykuala said...

You asked me how I felt
and soon you’ll know
how it feels

A classic ending, Jennifer! Almost as a lesson in being aware of how others had to suffer. One gets to feel more when one is at the receiving end. Nicely!

Hank

Truedessa said...

This was cleverly done..sort of a slap in disguise..loved the ending.

Abruvanamedsly said...

...soar above the vultured horizon

the vultured horizon...I definitely know what that looks like...I can so relate to this piece...felt.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

"but I will hold my tongue
and watch patiently from my perch
the crow you will have to eat"

Love this line. Sometimes time is the lesson that people have to learn...they'll eventually have to eat that crow, even if it takes a while.

Rajesh said...

though I have only wings for yesterday fitted to fly in a sky I no longer believe in.

Reminds me of Irish Airman and Ash Wednesday together. You will soon know... is brilliantly threatening.