The Vessel Overflows
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By Lem
- 931 reads
Sadness lives
in my shoulders.
I have long housed it there,
as worry chose the stomach for itself.
There isn’t much of me,
my mortal shell.
Five feet, two inches
of tight-packed hell.
Compact. Dense.
And tense.
The well-worn face is bloated with emotion.
Have you ever harboured demons?
Jump ship. This vessel’s set to overflow.
If feel is all I am
and feel is me
am I allowed to ache
allowed to bleed?
My own mind making worms’ meat out of me.
What of anger?
A small black pocket in the heart
contains the taste of ashes.
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Comments
I do hope you can get rid of
I do hope you can get rid of the anger a bit that maybe poisons the sadness. Some little positive thing that does cheer, or someone else's hurt and need of help, to loosen the hold of the tension a bit. Rhiannon
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Very neatly done and clever.
Very neatly done and clever. Can identify, as many others surely will too. It would be good to hear this read as well. It's our Pick of the Day. Do share on Facebook and Twitter. Hope the painting's ok - your poem reminded me a little of the Danaides with the overflowing vessel. The painting is a Waterhouse and is from here: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danaides_by_John_William_Water...
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oh yes I'd love to hear this
oh yes I'd love to hear this one read too - what a good idea. Congratulations on the well deserved golden cherries and lovely to see you back Lem. Hope the ashes dissipate soon x
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Brilliantly lean depiction of
Brilliantly lean depiction of self-destructive emotion without any of the unnecessary fat of sentimentality. 'My own mind making worms' meat out of me'. Who are you when your own mind is the enemy? If this is you then I hope you can find some way to re-center.
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This is our Poem of the Week!
This is our Poem of the Week! Congratulations!
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