A Princess Grows Up
on the day you went missing
i washed out socks
watched the grime left by stinging words
swirl away from
these toes that had felt tenderness drift through silty sand
packing in the last of summer's heat
now housed the splinters you left behind
on the day you went missing
i took them off for the last time
a tinge of red on white
near their tops
wrung them out
hung them to dry
toughened my eyes
there were things to do.
copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2018
Posted for Poets United
I can feel this poem, and have lived it. I know that toughening up , as there are things to do. Powerful, Audrey.
ReplyDeleteLove this! A stunning close
ReplyDelete'toughened my eyes
there were things to do'
that dovetails so beautifully with the title of the piece. Brilliant writing, Audrey - as always.
This is gut-wrenching really! All one can do sometimes is march onward.
ReplyDeleteDoing what must be done can be a great way to get where we need to be. The closing lines are magnificent... and true.
ReplyDeleteThis one hits the guts - very powerful
ReplyDeleteTo take leave is a far different thing than to go missing, but the heart is forever the child, the outward mirror. And abandonment is growing the hell up. Fine sharp detail here, making the wash of grief even saltier.
ReplyDeleteWhat a heartbreaking post. It is often difficult to maintain that love and concern for each other whether it be spouse or child. However that period of separation may help for each to unwind and resolve the differences. How beautifully you wrote this piece giving it such colour with your descriptive words.
ReplyDeleteThere is some pioneer stoicism in this powerful poem...strap it on, hitch it up, and get busy. No time for wallowing, there's work to be done! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteHello, Audrey, for me you created a feeling of loss in your well crafted poem, and to stir any emotion from ones writing is a great achievement.
ReplyDeleteon the day you went missing
i washed out socks
watched the grime left by stinging words
swirl away from..............your opening sets the scene of what's to come. with your final lines offering an excellent closure. Thank you for sharing
Yes, those things to do are our saviours. Brilliantly written.
ReplyDeleteAre we taking votes? I prefer the poem, but that doesn't mean that the story doesn't add its own take on details and mood-tone. More intention needed, for instance, in turning deliberately to tasks that are life rafts.
ReplyDelete