Friday, April 9, 2010

napowrimo: april 9

click HERE to listen to the music, then come back here and write from this prompt:

... the familiar story begins like this ...


3 comments:

Dot Hearn said...

still
by dot


he wanders the street in search of sleep
sleep of the awake who need a respite
a respite from the uncles and aunts
the children the parents the dog the cat
the man on the corner asking for money
the woman on the corner offering to wash your car
the news that tells him daily of all of the horrors
the billboards that shout love for sale and
food for sale that will eat away your heart and
programs for sale to cure the disease the food creates
and newspapers saying to simplify
and magazines screaming about the new consumerism
and politicians promising to provide health care if only
you will hand over your first or first and second paycheck
and the gated communities locking him out
and those whose communities are repeatedly raided by the police
even though they have nowhere else to go

he searches the streets for a place to belong
to let down
to cry for an hour or a day or more
because as far as he can tell
the only way out is not through but
to sit still
to be still
still
the thoughts
let go
the need to run
let go
the fear and pain
still
let go
the suffering
let go
still

not sleep
he realizes
stillness

noticing

a witness not overwhelmed

still

he sits
on the meridian
and watches

Deb Scott said...

Wow Dot. Not much more one needs to say. Just Wow!

Deb Scott said...

Put the baby to bed he says
anger in his hot breath
then get yourself in here

quick

her heart pounds
limbs shake warning
passion thrown against the wall
pure fear, her last resort
she enters the room
head down, lights off
counts to ten, ten thousand times
and then ten thousand more

In another house
another spouse
asks will you drink with me
will you agree not to know
deny concern and rage
will you take 12 steps from alanon

quick

to the corner liquor store
and bring home one more bottle
she shakes her head
dismayed, ten thousand times
and then ten thousand more

Down the road
dad drags home, second shift to begin
pulls a smile from his pocket
a pizza, milk, a cake
feed us scream his children

quick

mom's still in bed
he coaxes her to the bath
trys to wash away her haze
tears and anxiety, he drops his head
and prays ten thousand times
and then ten thousand more

somewhere in the
moonlight new
night lovers twine
bodies urged by ancient
power and breath

quick

before we understand
that love is not just this
before our hearts take
the jagged road
let's swear our love ten thousand times
and then ten thousand more