Sunday, September 09, 2012

blacker than the white

Breakfast, 1921, Fernand Leger
I turned into stone over that breakfast table
with pebbles within my stomach;
echo of those rubbing stone could be heard by all

you were shaken, no doubt, to silence
but it is a blessing for me
end of my suffering in which I had to listen to your ramblings

now I am a sculpture
a splendor in your drawing room
fiercely protected by scattered warriors of unknown origin

I can not be pushed into a remote corner
or thrown into a pasture where cows will stand near me
with grace, and look at me with reverence

"in a rugged marble, preserve me forever
and remember your follies"


34 comments:

joanne said...

Did you have breakfast with a relative of Medusa? lol
lovely imagery and emotion...

Anonymous said...

thought-provoking: how turning to stone, the narrator cannot be moved and is above the other's rambling.

creative take on this prompt.

annell4 said...

No, I don't want to stand with cows, at least not too long.

Daydreamertoo said...

What a shame she had to turn to stone to stop his nagging.
Very strong imagery, I like the thought that she had the inner strength to beat him :)

Tess Kincaid said...

There is something kind and graceful about cows...

Donna B. said...

"in a rugged marble, preserve me forever
and remember your follies" WOW! what a finale! Really enjoyed this....loved where you took us!

Unknown said...

I love your sculptural escape from suffering, Gautami. How wonderful to be splendorous and protected by warriors! It is a far loftier end then listening to incessant ramblings. Thank you for sharing this. =D

Laura Maria said...

Gripping poem. Like Daydreamertoo, I'm glad she had that inner strength. That's the only way to rise above things and make it through some situations. Great writing.

Tumblewords: said...

Beautifully written. Strong and honest...

R. Burnett Baker said...

you capture the strength of mind necessary to overcome distress. Excellent write!

brenda w said...

The stength of the fourth stanza resonates with me. A beautiful write.

Elizabeth said...

You have turned over a few stones with this one. The lot of Lot's wife was seen as a curse, yet you turn it to strength and a virtue. Absolutely wonderful use of the wordle words. I applaud you,

Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

runs deep. thought provoking poetry.

Silent Otto said...

I found this rather Shakespearean , Gautami, energy frozen into hard matter, succumbing to the draconian centripetal forces of this planet , disturbing, yet so elegant, thanks

christopher said...

Interesting intersection of image and wordle both. That must have been a stretch. Keep working. Your imagination is honed in the fire of the work.

flaubert said...

The last stanza is powerful, Gautami.

Pamela

Laurie Kolp said...

Nice... I especially like:

now I am a sculpture
a splendor in your drawing room
fiercely protected by scattered warriors of unknown origin

Leovi said...

An excellent poem.

Susan said...

"echo of those rubbing stone could be heard by all" I love this sound image en route to becoming "a splendor in your drawing room fiercely protected by scattered warriors of unknown origin"
One of the stone warriors! I've had a problem at times holding my ground instead of leaving, and this is the ultimate solution--still self-sacrificing, but fun to contemplate. Powerful writing.

Peggy said...

I like this taming of the fingers and toes. Lots of feeling here.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I echo Elizabeth - this is a stronger interpretation than the original, and more likely, given women have incredible inner strength.Loved it.

21 Wits said...

Never a more lovely sound....and yes we must live for the follies of life!

Stafford Ray said...

Wonderful idea, but do you really believe the 'rambler' ever learns?

Ah, I see we have a 'robot proof wall'. This time I will do it.

Wayne Pitchko said...

nicely done...thanks for sharing

Chris Lawrence said...

This wrapped itself about me and i enjoyed the flow and imagery so much

Susan Lindquist said...

this is beautiful ... and sad ... stuck at the breakfast table with someone nattering on about nothing of import to what is in your soul and heart ... oblivious to your spirit ... and such haunting lines to finish your piece ...

Kathe W. said...

excellent!

L.A Speedwing said...

what a poem! What an end!

Unknown said...

The quote at the end nicely wraps up this piece. I like the notion of being held in place of honor rather than out in the pasture, too.

The Blog of Bee said...

That's a powerful write - wonderful images come to mind.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Cleverly done. Kudos!

Anna :o]

PS Nearly giving up here. Third attempt at the barely decipherable word verification...

Sreeja said...

Clever write....

my heart's love songs said...

how sad that it is better to be turned to stone than have to listen to another talking! i confess it made me smile!

i REALLY love your take on the image!

Margaret said...

preserve me forever
and remember your follies"

Wow!