The summer I went crazy,
I took my pillow.
I clutched it to me throughout the long, hot ride to the lake,
letting its soft weight anchor my remnants
and keep them from floating away.
Having been judged a danger to myself,
I was being removed from prying eyes and sharp objects.
As I pretended to sleep,
I mulled over my inescapable new truth.
No matter how carefully I reassembled myself,
no one would ever forget
that I was a puzzle with ill-fitting pieces.
From now on,
every time they looked at me,
they would see the cracks.
15 comments:
Mama Zen....
You have this uncanny ability to turn your thoughts into magic!
We are all so fragile and yet, if we didn't bend in the wind, we would all break, one day.
This is so sad, yet truthfull.
You know, unless we face lifes' challenges, (and we always have to one day) we never know how truly strong we are.
Lovely, heartfelt prose.
Ah, folks love to see the cracks in others... makes them feel better about their own gaping crevasses, in a way.
"The world breaks everyone and, Afterward, some are strong at the broken places." -Hemingway
Vivid, powerful write, MZ. The pillow is a strong metaphorical and physical anchor, both in life and in this piece.
I read a great Leonard Cohen quote the other day. Something to the effect of cracks exist to let the light in. That's not it verbatim but this piece reminds me of it. This character would have benefited hearing his words, for sure.
Really beautiful, Mama Z.
^^^ "There is a crack, a crack, in everything--
That's how the light gets in."
Certain things create labels that are hard to overcome. It's like, one is no longer one's self, but this label instead.
Such an evocative poem. I could feel the bumps in the road.
PS--the song that quote is from is called "Anthem."
" I was a puzzle with ill fitting pieces" I love that .
I do so relate to this one and you do have a magic way of putting it!
Sylvia
This is a strong one, full of pain, and insight as well. There are cracks in the ground all over my yard right now, but come the next big rain, they'll be gone like magic.
Very strong images you have here...
I like to hope though that we can heal our cracks in time with love ~
Exactly.
wow lady, this is exactly it.
I appreciate these strong, resonant images of human fragility.
David
Through it all, it was very telling that she took her pillow from home. Heartbreaking.
wow! vivid imagery with an intensity in the pain that is palpable. stunning!
"The summer I went crazy,
I took my pillow."
Oh my. Now THAT is the way to start a poem. And how else are you going to go crazy but with a pillow?!
"No matter how carefully I reassembled myself,
no one would ever forget
that I was a puzzle with ill-fitting pieces."
Indeed. My greatest fear is being found out for a fractured piece of cardboard.
~Shawna
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