Writing
death letters
by firelight
want to tell my
friend how I
wronged him
but past scars
should not surface
on leathered skin
want to tell
the strong man
my fears
I am not
a hardened
hero
I am not
a chiseled cheekbone
or gravestone
I want a
clean
conscience
before
entering
the clearing
I was always
afraid of
tarot
but now I’m ready
for you to
read my cards
it’s time
to cast
my stones
and be read
before all
that I’ve enclosed
© Copyright Steve Shultz. All rights reserved.
FM Ghost 
nice…love the opening up and getting real… great lines like..afraid of tarot but now ready for you to read my cards…love the message here..
nice….death letter…what a thought burner themselves…i like the comfort the narrator finds in the end…making peace….
“I want a
clean
conscience
before
entering
the clearing”
of course, you knew, Id adore this part…
isnt this what we all want…
Great lines…“I want a
clean
conscience
before
entering
the clearing”
A fear like so can easily go should you beat yourself which can take a while to do at your shelf.
Oh, I really love this one… so many great lines and phrases “but past scars
should not surface
on leathered skin”
so true.
I love the idea of unveiling, of clearing and letting all be known. Great write–
I love your short, narrow stanzas. I always find this visually appealing.
These are my favorites:
“Writing
death letters
by firelight”
“I was always
afraid of
tarot
but now I’m ready
for you to
read my cards”
“I was always
afraid of
tarot
but now I’m ready
for you to
read my cards” … Nice return to the topic of the opening stanza.
Intense! and so very tight. Those last two stanzas knock me out.
nice…what would like be like if we were to write these before death became imminent…?
This was beautifully bare and vulnerable. Excellent.
Taking care of the soul……. sometimes requires baring it. We’re all on that path Steve. Together, but alone – and lonely. I think you just captured that very well…. Good job….
I can only agree with ihatepoetry; your poem is touchingly vulnerable and so well written. I love this.
This is a raw vision, Steve. I like the simplicity in the form you’ve used, just as thoughts might fall “before entering the clearing”.
Even the poler face cant beat the cards 😀
a smooth concept Steve – – – cutting the deck!
POKER!!! – damn my lo-light typing! 😀
The form is perfect for this quiet, contemplative voice to open up–great writing
Death letters… now that is a thought. I like the idea of clearing the conscious before standing in the clearing.
Cool piece. Love the ending, really strong. The notion of how your mindset had changed regarding the tarot, well, that’s just a cool example of how an entire persona can be written using brevity at its finest. Great read. Thanks
oh man, what an unadulterated raw smack in the face. Really stirring.
That is an extremely awesome poem!! I like havin a clear conscinece too!
I really like your structure here, it reads really well. And the opening is a real catcher.