Thursday, April 17, 2014

Self Portrait

 
confined by ailments
that relinquish nothing
but cadaverous bones
known to rattle
a downbeat melancholy
when fiercely shaken

a reflection of a petrified past
rooted
invisibly present
toasting monotonous minutiae
with a glass of half empty
to a flower on a wall

at home in the shadows
that know not black or white
but a world of grey
a spectrum of darkness and light
where pain and patience are relentless adversaries

sucked weary by energy stealers
subtracted to introversion
the depression of footprints
discernible only to those with a skilled eye
who witness the invisible turned visible

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28 comments:

  1. back again.
    smiles.

    the last stanza is stellar. some really cool word play in it...the subtracted...the double play on depression...the whole thing is really great...and there is a lot of grey i play as well...a bit of the black and white...

    and welcome home...smiles.

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  2. I read much of this in myself...especially the beginning. An amazing piece...so moving. I got your note in the mail..thank you so much!!

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    1. Thanks Susie, although sorry you can relate. Glad my note got to you. :)

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  3. now that is a deeply grey portrait ~

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    1. I never know what is going to come out until I finish a piece. Turned out darker than I imagined.

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  4. i love this. wonderful imagery.

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  5. coming back from vacation can do this to a person :) … I found "the invisible to visible " rather chilling…

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  6. this reminded me of when I had an illness a bit ago, I hope you are well.

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    1. Thanks, herniated disc is causing me some pain but doing pretty good otherwise.

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  7. while reading this i was wondering how it would look if you'd paint it... would make for an interesting painting i bet... hope you're getting some color back into your life soon

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  8. I admire how you turn the darkness & grey & lack of energy into muses for your writing ~ Ailments can be really depressing but somehow you have managed to used them as your springboard for your arts and writing ~

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    1. Thanks, it's almost as though expressing it takes its power away.

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  9. "discernible only to those with a skilled eye who witness the invisible turned visible"- Powerful.
    The entire life path- the struggle, the pain and the grey... so well expressed in your words. Every stanza produces a picture, that one can't help but to gawk at... so to understand. :-)
    -HA

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    1. Thanks Hank, love the 'gawk' expression. I know just what you mean.

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  10. you have been able to keep the energy stealers at bay...i like this shade of gray that's holding your grit steadfastly....

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  11. this is just wonderful....although the reality behind it i know is not. you are always visible, your heart always shines right through all of it, i so admire your pluck and tenacity.

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  12. Very powerful Kathryn... I can't even put it into words!

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  13. Fantastic writing Kathryn! All my best to you :)

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  14. Very moving, honest Kathryn. I can certainly relate. I particularly like stanza 3, though monotonous minutiae might be a bit much alliteration. Love the glass half full and the wall flower. You pack so much into those few lines.

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  15. Wowzers, this is a wonderful poem...love toasting with a glass of half empty.....your closing lines are especially powerful.....so well done.

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  16. "with a glass of half empty
    to a flower on a wall"

    That is just damn fine writing.

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  17. Agh--I know those footprints--very hard sometimes not to hear their echo--Thanks. k.

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  18. Oh, there is such a weight to these words. Who hasn't felt the heaviness of our existence. Perfect.

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  19. ..the skilled eye would be able to relate to the deprivation of depression and how it can blindside us, yet we persevere ....the downbeat melancholy I like

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  20. this is deeply touching...my favorite lines are the glass half empty and the flower on the wall. this is a beautiful and reflective piece!

    stacy lynn mar
    http://warningthestars.blogspot.com/

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