Coffee stain across your chest
i wipe it off,
wash it out
but the sin-spilled remains
bitterness worn like an armor
i can never penetrate
I utter flaky words
of apology
repeatedly
repeatedly
they crumble
in your steely gaze
"damage," you say
you are damaged.
I bear the blame of breaking you
I tip toe my way across the hall
of your darkness
of your stained existence
hanging orange orbs at each step
truncating the distance
bringing us to the beginning
You let the wind in
blowing off the light
welcoming back the cold
"damage," you say
You are damaged.
I swallow my pride and bear the years
as i did the nine months
with confounded confusion
with helpless hope
you were fragile then and i had you
tumble across the room of my
un-sober pathetic parenting
haunting me like a cesspool of regret
"damage," I say
I am damaged.
We are of the same sort
tip toeing our hopes across
an inescapable fate
in the halls of our
coffee stained chests.
We are of the same sort
and i bear the blame for passing
the torch of damaged desperation
and i bear the torch of light
to draw you out
of my inescapable fate.
for we are damaged.
damaged.
Reviews
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Invariably Deeper Than A Mere Caffeine Stain!
Is it just me, Iphios or am I receiving distinct intimations of "Mommy Dearest" here.
My lengthy preamble on your many fine and salient points failed to go thru just now (I also forgot to save it)but I will at least repeat a few :
Brilliant double metaphor of "passing the torch" (does the daughter who received the infected lantern fear passing it on to HER daughter - therefore necessitating this purge?) and breaking the vicious cycle thru The Torch of Reason.
Wiping the coffee stain from an aging parent aptly correlates with a title which nonetheless belies the power, poignancy and intelligence of this piece.
Sheer cathartistry in motion - no damage remains impermeable if a skillful poetess shines her scrutiny at its shadow. Hope your purge succeeds.
Great stuff this tonic of yours - a heady swell.
Warmest
gG
. Rewarded 8
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gG!
I am very much glad you came to read this poem and leave a comment. You saw, what i hope people would see. Yes mommy dearest is at the heart of this, and the coffee stain is definitely not just a mere stain.
You pick up on the nuances of this poem that im glad i didn't archive it yet. I'm glad this worked for you gG. The purge is slow.
Thanks again for the read and generous comment.
-iphios
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gnosisonG
September 19