Sunday, June 10, 2012

House of Words




I am trapped in a house of words:
words of my own making
and yours.
Each note adds another layer
to thick walls encasing me.

I scribble as fast as I can
trying to write my way out,
but my pages fill the doors and windows,
piling higher and higher.

From the ceiling
incomplete sentences,
dependent clauses,
salutations and post scripts
rain down.

Words of love, carefully phrased,
and smooth, treacherous lies
fall at my feet.
I am surrounded by
words of iron indifference
and crumpled disinterest.

Words I can no longer read,
letters I cannot bare to open
pool around my ankles.
Eventually I will drown in them,
here in my house of words.



This image, Still Life, 1670, detail by Jean François de Le Motte, is provided by Tess at The Mag to inspire writers.  If you like to write, read or think I suggest you check it out. 

42 comments:

  1. Mary, your poem is captivating ... each stanza building on the prior .. until I felt myself drowning in your words (in a very nice way.)

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    1. Hahaha - thank you Helen. :o)

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    2. Forgot to tell you I use PhotoFunia to create those images ...........

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  2. I think you need to light a match
    So from your words you can detach

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  3. dependant clauses...nice us of that...it has double play in it...whew...so many words i def get the sense of drowning.

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    1. Thanks Brian. (And you're right, usually my writing is much more spare.)

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  4. "Words of love, carefully phrased,
    and smooth, treacherous lies"

    "words of iron indifference
    and crumpled disinterest."

    Really liked this piece Mary. Very intense. Am reminded of that old adage, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." Especially when we are only practicing to deceive ourselves...
    Nicely penned, my friend!

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    1. Thanks Ginny...I decided to play with the idea of words full of meaning vs. empty words and this is where I ended up!

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  5. So many words with so much meaning...I think at times I suffer from the same thing. Excellent piece!!

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    1. Yes...sometimes I feel overwhelmed by words! Thanks Susie.

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  6. I love this part
    "From the ceiling
    incomplete sentences,
    dependent clauses,
    salutations and post scripts
    rain down."
    Great stuff, Mary.
    K

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    1. Thanks Kay (Heehee, it does feel like that sometimes!) :o)

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  7. Sounds like dream ,Mary , i was reminded of Alice when the room started to flood. Very Healthy !

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    1. Hehe - I was actually thinking of some old Batman show or something where the walls and ceiling start coming together to squash the hero. (Holy Writers' Block Batman!) :o)

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  8. No crumpled disinterest when reading this Mag, I'll be bound! *smiles*

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  9. Thank goodness that you've chosen words...talent helps!!

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  10. yeah - I get your take on letters...Other Mary

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    1. Some days anyway Old Ollie. Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. You certainky convey a sense of suffocation and a desire to claw one’s way out ...and up...and away! Well done.

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  12. Wow... I've often felt like I was drowning in words, flowing so greatly that I couldn't pluck them for use.

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    1. The words can be tricky. Thanks for reading.

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  15. You give new meaning to still life. We do feel like that. Sometimes the less said the better! I love the idea of the dependent clauses raining down (and reining you in.)
    k.

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  16. I loved the depth and continuity of this piece - it's a fine read!

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  17. Let the words rain down. I love this piece.

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  18. I'm with brenda - let them rain down these words ... this poem is wonderful and sings ... very nice Mary

    http://thepoet-tree-house.blogspot.ca/2012/06/love-letters-of-promises-and-regret.html

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    1. Oh thanks so much. :o) I'll check out your link too!

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  19. Lovely but sad words - do so hope you don't drown in them!

    Anna :o]

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  20. Magnificent! Worthy of a few re-reads this one is!

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  21. My favorite Mag so far this week!

    I just love every word.

    =)

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    1. Oh, thanks so much Sue! I appreciate that very much!

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