--each loaf has its limit--
--each fish, its own skin--
Though I am here, you there,
and the wall with its cross upon it strong between us,
Don't breath and beat sit side by side
within the same breast
wrapped in soul, keeping it?
There is God,
and there is You,
One seeming to keep me from the other
like words obscuring prayer
until I feel dizzy, and more lost than before.
I must accept what cannot be mine,
Remembering that the door without a frame
is superfluous,
mocks itself,
and leads nowhere.
__________
for Real Toads. Kerry wanted a monk's tale, but femcentric me wrote about an abbess, instead.
love the 3rd paragraph or stanza or whatever you'd call it. :)
ReplyDelete"...The door without a frame..."such a powerful metaphorical vehicle for the abbess' stalwart convictions! Love the voice in this poem!
ReplyDeleteThere is some deep wisdom in this poem, Shay. The idea of a dichotomy of self co-existing as breath and beat wrapped in the same soul (I love that), and the idea that for something to function well, it needs a solid frame - your final image tore straight through my brain to the place where real logic meets heartfelt meaning.
ReplyDelete"The Abbess said,
ReplyDelete--each loaf has its limit--
--each fish, its own skin--"
So simple, and yet so true.
Those last lines - very cool.
ReplyDeleteAwesome write, Ms. Thang. Your inner goddess-poet-muse is working overtime. :-) xo
ReplyDelete.. blown away by the image of being 'wrapped in soul' ~~ like the feeling.
ReplyDeleteYou encompass all that's best in poetry here, Shay; the music of language, the subtlety of thought, the profundity of emotion. A very fine poem.
ReplyDeleteWonderful tale of that internal struggle.
ReplyDeleteI loved the ending,.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle and the door with no frame, yes the will to move forward wrapped in one s own thoughts
"like words obscuring prayer" - a lot of depth in that phrase, when one reflects on it. Beautiful, poignant and sad. A door without a frame must feel - the word "unhinged" comes to mind, and I am not trying to be funny - I just cant help it. I have to work with what words come through the porridge these days. This is a really beautiful poem, kiddo. So sad.
ReplyDeleteThere is deep feeling here and longing I think. You have made me want to know more of the story! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteThese are great:
ReplyDelete"There is God,
and there is You,
One seeming to keep me from the other"
"Remembering that the door without a frame
is superfluous,
mocks itself,
and leads nowhere."
"--each loaf has its limit--
--each fish, its own skin--" ... I guess this is to mean that food can only be stretched so far; thus, it is inevitable that someone will go hungry---like you.
I can not sayy any better what Kerry had to say to you about this poem...cop out no just the truth...when I read her comment I said yup, that's exactly how your words made me feel and the opening with the fish and its skin the loaf and the limits...Shay, this poem is deep!! Well written!
ReplyDeleteThe door that leads no where!! :) I like the open-endedness of your piece.
ReplyDeleteI echo Kerry's perspective.
ReplyDeleteThat last stanza . . . just wow.
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Shay. It would be too embarrassing to tell you why I relate strongly with this!
ReplyDelete