battle scars.

By Six-Out

in the chaos of recreating myself.
I almost forgot what it felt- to be missed.
to have a hand on my wrist
as I turn, speaking words like 'no',
but with a meaning more like 'stay', than 'stop'.
and in rewriting myself. it seems I left out
the simple things,
in an effort to make myself stronger.
I excluded four letter words that start with 'L'
to make room for all the baggage
I chose to keep locked in the closet.
my skeletons don't have room to dance, much less speak.
so I was content with keeping distance
as more of a literal thing.
that is.
until I forgot what wishing wells were used for
so I started throwing pennies at the ocean
in hopes that my splash would last longer than
the words I'd speak when no one
was left there, to listen.

it's the way that work doesn't fill the voids
where that voice used to echo.
and now I'm left with the vibrations that seem more like
earthquakes. shaking pace with my hands
when strangers stop reaching.
I tried to break even with the cracking of ground.
but my head hurt like that boulder
had lost it's footing.
and down made more sense than standing still.
that's when I lost faith in logic.
and I can still feel that grip.
it's like.
sometimes, man. there's just simply.
nothing left.

and pens. they taste like mercury
so I dip head.strong in the things I wrote myself
to forget. like letters
that never got sent. postage ages
and I sit.
still I sit.
and wonder what's the meaning
when all you're left with.
is this.

Unauthorized Copying Is Prohibited. Ask the author first.
Copyright 2010 Jon Rodgers
Published on Thursday, September 30, 2010.     Filed under: "Poetry"
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Comments on "battle scars."

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  • sIo On Friday, April 6, 2018, sIo (926)By person wrote:

    My chest feels like I have the beat of a tapping foot. You’re transforming in front of a crowd.

  • A former member wrote: Fantastic job on this poem. This one really hit home with me. Your writing is fantastic! Keep it up :)

  • urbanhumility On Tuesday, June 28, 2011, urbanhumility (1175)By person wrote:

    well done, honest, forthright...........urban

  • verablue On Saturday, January 15, 2011, verablue (111)By person wrote:

    "my skeletons don't have room to dance, much less speak." simply stunning. so many parts of it struck a chord in me. bravo!

  • carlosjackal On Sunday, January 2, 2011, carlosjackal (3016)By person wrote:

    Had to leave my mark just to let you know how stunning and honest this piece is. Write on....Happy New Year, Jon.

  • ColorMeToxic On Wednesday, December 1, 2010, ColorMeToxic (240)By person wrote:

    This write provoked a sort of emotional response from me. Nice. -Beth Scholar

  • A former member wrote: Lovely piece... Deep, yet it sounds so simple the way you portray it... Great write. Scholar

  • A former member wrote: I printed this out and stapled it to my cubicle wall. I needed your words this morning like I needed my coffee and a hug. Thank you --Divi Scholar

  • K_Love On Friday, October 22, 2010, K_Love (525)By person wrote:

    Beautiful :]

  • A former member wrote: Captures pain's rhythm and pulse beautifully... cold and sobering... incredulously vulnerable.

  • A former member wrote: this is like a gift wrapped time bomb..... carefully opening before the reader..... with slow patience and steady pace.... and then implodes.... sucking the life away with the wrappings.... that second paragraph develops the quaking metaphor so smoothly... so deeply without ever losing focus of the loss behind the words... excellent work, without doubt.... but don't feel too blue, I'm sure the texans will beat them boys yet ;)

  • The Dybbuk On Friday, April 19, 2013, The Dybbuk (928)By person wrote:

    what this guy said, and... *bows in reverence*

  • Dommi On Thursday, September 30, 2010, Dommi (96)By person wrote:

    ....wow... just... wow...

  • lovechild On Thursday, September 30, 2010, lovechild (43)By person wrote:

    I only make it come back through rapid change that is not always easy or pleasant and often pregnant with the temptation to backslide. But it beats futile apathy and discourages indifference.


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