Mourning Glory ~ #OpenLinkNight @dVersePoets

There is a core to the blackness
a throbbing heart that pulses
to unheard rhythms of despair...
Layer after layer
the light is buried deep

Days spent in flannel pajamas
housebound
staring over a garden
where the flowers cease to bloom

They judge
Demand action
as though there is control over the blackness
as though somehow with your rising
the flowers will once again blossom.

In the blackness there is truth
that all we do, all we feel
every single tear we cry
matters not to the core
for its fertility trumps time and space
It was before
It is now
It will always be.

A spirit lingers here
that fell from the sky without warning
Like a magnet
tethered to the heart of blackness
it is attached.
It was before
It is now
It will always be.

The truth of my faith is blackness
for in it
there is no light
to ignite my illusion.

The headstone
far enough away
I can pretend its not even there.


Claudia has got the pub keys, poets! Think we can convince her to open up early?  It's OpenLinkNight at dVersePoets...where there is poetry on tap! See you at 3pmEST

Comments

Brian Miller said…
The truth of my faith is blackness
for in it
there is no light
to ignite my illusion....great lines that...and the closing stanza right on its heals as well....i find comfort in the dark actually...the moment before the sun comes up in the morning is the most peaceful for me...not sure i would want to be house bound though, no matter how comfortable the flannel pjs
Claudia said…
There is a core to the blackness
a throbbing heart that pulses
to unheard rhythms of despair...
Layer after layer
the light is buried deep....speaks to me of more than just the normal darkness..but more of the darkness of the mind in a depression...wonderfully penned piece tash
Susan Daniels said…
Wow, this is so very intense--that core to blackness, that throbbing heart. You give life to this depression.
Jenny Herner said…
Wonderful! I especially love "tethered to the heart of blackness" and the use of light and dark
OK, kiddo, this started off good, but then it powershifted into profound with these lines:

"The truth of my faith is blackness
for in it
there is no light
to ignite my illusion.

The headstone
far enough away
I can pretend its not even there."

Bril. Just, bril. Wow. You made this verbose dilettante speechless.

If you were within reach, I'd hug the hell out of you, :) luv, Mosk

Wolfsrosebud said…
I feel both joy and sadness not knowing where it ends
Timoteo said…
Nice...especially during this "Season of the Witch." Great title. I almost misread it, and then I saw the "U" in mourning and thought yes, clever and fitting.
Anonymous said…
'the flowers cease to bloom...
they judge, demand action as though there is control over the blackness...'

I think that is such a poignant and accurate description for the paralysis that grief can bring. Great write Tash.
Anonymous said…
Is there any truth that is light? Seems to me sometimes the more that we know the less we truly understand. As always Tash, poetry with a bleeding heart and an honest pen xx
mrs mediocrity said…
I have been quite focused on lightness vs. darkness lately... intertwined and each simply half of the other.
Life is filled with both, we swing between them and mark our days with their pattern.
Really powerful piece!
Anonymous said…
I was going to say how much I liked this poem, but all the above comments have said it for me!
marousia said…
This is superb! I have been thinking a lot about dark and light too - the shadows are deepest where the light is brightest ...
Ginny Brannan said…
"The truth of my faith is blackness
for in it
there is no light
to ignite my illusion."

This is one of those great poems where the meaning can allude to several things depending on where the reader wants to take it: depression, death and mourning, loss of faith. Well penned, Natasha.
Serena said…
Very intense... I especially liked
"A spirit lingers here
that fell from the sky without warning
Like a magnet
tethered to the heart of blackness
it is attached."

Your images are moving as well as powerful. Well done.
Steve King said…
Love the way you move this poem through the use of contrasting images, light/ dark...the rhetoric moves relentlessly and powerfully. Very nice job. Really enjoyed reading this.
henry clemmons said…
Wow. You are such an honest poet and readers always get what you say, while I write a sad poem and is reviewed light, or vice versa. I love the strength in your voice, even when presenting weakeness, the power of your weakness, the power of vulnerability. The deepest black absorbs the most light/color. How much can we absorb. A telling poem. Brilliant.
Unknown said…
nicely penned Tash. Love this, especially the mid to ending here, was, is, will be such a great use of that statement, powerful as it ever is, repeated really well and effectively. Great read. Thanks
"It was before
It is now
It will always be."

no matter the intensity of what we are going through, life does not stop or even take notice.

a powerful write, Natasha! LOVE it!

Sarav said…
A very intense poem--the ending summed it perfectly. Funny how we can know its there and not see it. Well done :-)
Beth Winter said…
I am stupefied by the intensity. I need to read again but wanted to say wow.
Candi Morrow said…
you left me deep in thought, well done.
Dana Dampier said…
I understand how that darkness clings to you, to everything and before you know it the whole has gone dark. We've got to let a little light in before that happens, but a little dark isn't so bad either.
Susan said…
"for its fertility trumps time and space"

Thus the need for time off in the deep, for distance from the stone. Your repetitions, many pauses for breath push these images into the soul.

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