Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Kitchen Girl

There are stairs,
scarce been used--

the smell of wood,
straight cut and new--

all of it built
quite recently, for you.

Didn't I tell you, baby,
I'd get you before a preacher one day?

Didn't I tell you, Lonesome,
that I'd find the words to make you stay?

I saw it all,
can't prove I lied--

in the case of those
who've lately died.

A ring means an unbroken circle,
a rope means a broken neck--

I knew one day I'd make you fall,
and dance, and turn--
first east, then west.
________

Izy at Real Toads says take her to an exotic location where you'd never want to go. All right. I think a gallows is fairly exotic and I certainly never want to end up there.

The title is taken from a traditional song of the same name. It goes, in part:

I never will believe what one man says
though his eyes be blue or brown--
unless he's swingin' from a scaffold high,
sayin', darlin' I can't come down. 

 

17 comments:

  1. Definitely twisted (pun intended)...

    ReplyDelete
  2. rope us in with that open and leave us hanging in the end, why doncha. well, you actually didn't leave us hanging.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Didn't I tell you, baby,
    I'd get you before a preacher one day?"

    This entire poem made me smile. It had a certain uplifting "I told you so" feel to it. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. you are twisted - or your friend is twisting in the wind. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. "A ring means an unbroken circle. A rope means a broken neck." Only you would think of a gallows as a possible destination. I come in here like a hungry pup, eyeing the bowl, never quite knowing what is going to get served up:) I love that about you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Know thyself?" If I knew myself, I'd run away.

    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    ReplyDelete
  7. I fucking love you, cooks. Too clever. And always drenched in a unique voice of the narrator. You gotta be you, and I always glad to have your presence in the garden. Viva la

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nothing like the sweet smell of vindication! Loved this - half song/ half victory dance.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yikes. This is the iciest revenge love song I think I've ever read. A hymn for Chocktaw Ridge. Penultimate stanza is pure fury.

    ReplyDelete
  10. …wickedly clever! Such a "dance" partner I hope I never find! Read it three times …. why this leaves a smile on my face I have no idea :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hangman hangman, slack on your rope awhile/I think I see my true love comin, comin from many a mile...yes, we've definitely lost the drama of execution in our sterile age--not that I mind, since you can recreate it flawlessly here, also sardonically, also ringing true on every note. Love the verse you quote at the end--how completely I agree.

    ReplyDelete
  12. a whiff of revenge.. or maybe an icy blast... the whole poem rings with drama....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Is it good to love a poem so bad? Think so.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Whoa, Shay, you've done it again. Good stuff.
    Know what I always love about your posts? The things you list as "labels"! They're great: don't necessarily refer to the words in the poem, but definitely the feelings and implications.
    Luv, K

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my goodness..love this! There seems to be a bitter of the bitter snark in me that loves to go dark. :)

    ReplyDelete

Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?