How old are you anyway?
I'm thinkin' I'm
A hunnert and five, my last birthday.
Well well, they say--
With they fingers together, steepled up;
You ain't exactly young.
You ain't no fresh pup.
Some things are ridiculous on their face--
Old women in love,
Poodle dogs who dance in place.
Listen mister, I said--
Have you ever kissed a bullet?
Or left yourself for dead?
Because I have.
And when you kiss what kills you,
It's some kind of
Deep blue voodoo--
I dare you to tell me that I lie.
Tucked under a crow's wing,
I left that place.
It was ridiculous on its face,
And now the branch burns under me when I sing.
I kiss another woman if I want to,
And I stand where I need to be.
I wear a gris-gris made from wolf's hearts--
They don't live long,
But fearlessly.
Thank you to Hedgewitch for letting me use her gris-gris. Thank you to Coal Black for spiritual assistance.
Photograph: Sharon Stone in The Quick And The Dead
Wow - I can just see her. That's pretty cool, FB.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the nod, but this juju is all Fireblossom. The rhymes in this, so stealthy and purposeful, ring the poem with candles of light and truth. I love it all, but the last three stanzas are genius.
ReplyDeleteyou ever kiss what kills you...why yes, i do like a bit of voodoo hoodoo...weave your magic shay
ReplyDeleteI love that last stanza!
ReplyDeleteDifficult to do a character poem, especially using dialect. But you pull it off well. Strong poem!
ReplyDeleteyou stand for fearless poetry for sure shay...and there are days when i feel like i'm hunnert and five...never kissed a bullet though....great write shay
ReplyDeleteGreat poem, it made me smile. I love the "Deep blue voodoo" line.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my bronco riding, gun toting Grandmother. I love ballsy women.
ReplyDeleteAnd when you kiss what kills you,
ReplyDeleteIt's some kind of
Deep blue voodoo--
love that... and now off to find what kills me
It's all so ironic that in the midst of the love hangover, what works best is a little hair of the poodle dog!
ReplyDeleteYeah, life is nasty, brutish and short no matter how long you live. If it doesn't leave a few marks on you, what can you say about how you've lived? I say be fierce and fearless! I know you are!! Excellent as always.
ReplyDeleteFW and CB and HW out on the blasted heath, shaking their verse moneymakers -- we are not worhy, we are not worthy! You empty your six shooters into this one, as dead-on and feral as I've ever read you --
ReplyDeleteSome things are ridiculous on their face--
Old women in love,
Poodle dogs who dance in place.
Listen mister, I said--
Have you ever kissed a bullet?
Or left yourself for dead?
Because I have...
Blow on the barrel and ride on out of this corral. Not a contrary voice can be heard anywhere beneath the wings of this big long badlands wind. - Brendan
Loved this poem but this stanza grabbed me completely:
ReplyDeleteListen mister, I said--
Have you ever kissed a bullet?
Or left yourself for dead?
Because I have.
WOW
Fabulously creative!
ReplyDeleteThis spirit wishes to hand over it's creative juices and bow to the absolutely fierce write you have penned. The ol'west ain't got nothing on you, hoodoo, voodoo, I bet you can turn lead into gold!
ReplyDelete" And when you kiss what kills you.." love it, I know the feeling. Shay, I love your writing.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
ReplyDeleteYour poetry is gripping and your parting words killed it...to live fearlessly is a brave thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words in my blog.
I love the tone of this-all the voodoo references. The last line is brilliant! I must object, however, to the aspersions cast upon the blameless poodle, which dances to show its natural exuberance and agility. Hmfph!
ReplyDeleteSuch spirit in this piece, Shay. When idea, language and craft come together as they do here, it is indeed deep blue voodoo. So glad I stopped by for a visit this week. I'll be back again and again.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought...You go girl! Wow, so strong and fierce. I like it.
ReplyDeletejust.plain.cool. =)
ReplyDeleteyou are one popular cowgirl!
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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Glad to see The Quick And The Dead represented here. In my mind's eye I play the priest, but with a greater sense of self-preservation. Gene Hackman is my kooky brother-in-law, and for some reason the rancher guy from the pig movie Babe makes a guest appearance dispensing wisdom and fun sized Snickers bars.
ReplyDeleteLove the language and the hints of dialect.
ReplyDeleteWas you ever bit by a dead bee?
ReplyDeleteI read this poem and kept thinking of that line of dialogue from To Have And Have Not
Those last three stanzas are quite amazing. I love the rhythm and the content.
ReplyDeleteWell done!
You've created a piece that tells the truth of transition, of lessons learned, of boldness developed, and of self, appreciated. Well done!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2011/07/05/dance-of-god-science/
My grandmother was the only woman I knew with a bullet wound through the left shoulder... Nothing to say any woman should be taken at face value - least of all this poet!
ReplyDeleteThis is great poetry, the tone and flow is wonderful. As mentioned prior lines such as "when you kiss what kills you" add greatness here. ~ Rose
ReplyDeleteAnother great poem. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI would wish for the heart of a wolf that I might live fiercely and fearlessly...and living long be damned!
ReplyDeleteya gotta kiss what kills ya, it's the only way to carry on living...
ReplyDeletewhat better than to live fearlessly?
ReplyDeletelove every line! ♥