She will forever be stuck in the middle
diffusing bombs tied off with family wires
radiant, she sits, at the center of the blast
always she was made to carry the weight
of all else above self ever since she was little
tongues find themselves tied in sisterly debate
looking for answers within a blurred past
pounds of flesh, weighing each one’s fate
trying to see through the smoke of memory’s fire
she will always be the one chosen to mediate
and she, she will never be satisfied
a tight rope unbalanced between love and hate
feeding the flames just to watch them grow higher
don’t need to meet the spark to know the flames spread fast
one thing for certain, she will never be denied
both must know salted tears turn sickly sweet
arguing over who is the world’s first liar
the candle is burning the light it outlasts
reconcile, and before the clock ticks too late
kneel, make this bed cozy at mother’s feet
A karousel posted for dVerse Poets Pub’s Form For All by David James.
Wow…there are so many lines that I relate to from my own existence, it’s hard not to take this one personally 😉 haven’t made it to the form challenge yet…so no critique to offer there, but as a reader…well…it’s another one of those eff bomb moments…fantastic work, Steve! I’m still trying to figure the world’s first liar too…(love that line!)
dang man….this pops right from the beginning with stark reality…it thumbs too with a great beat & wicked pace…you worked the form wonderfully…pounds of flesh weighed on each others fate…i could read back several really key lines…just know i like…smiles.
Loved it all. No sticky sentimentality here. This is the unending, painful work of mothers in each family. The bombs tied with family wires (great phrase!) is surely the “mother’s work that is never done”. At every age, every argument and someone at center to find that median, that point of view to reconcile.
Deft and careful use of the form that merely supports this fine work.
oh wow..this is powerful.. such a strong voice in this.. really great job, feels at no point rhyme or form-forced.. you made us feel her
Very strong voice in a wonderful pattern of rhyming words ~ I specially like the last stanza ~
Perfect use of the form to yield a strong poem.
a tight rope between ticks and tocks, between stability and an explosion
<a href=http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2013/01/quantum kisses