Saturday, October 23, 2010

Emerging


WRITERS ISLAND
http://writersisland.wordpress.com/
('emerge')

EMERGING

Waking was painful.
*
Sleep had been such a boon
And I wished it could go on
For ever.
*
My fat, sluggish body
Had become repulsive to me.
I saw my reflection in a dewdrop
And wished that I could die.
*
Unable to help myself,
I spun.
I withdrew from the world.
I laboured mightily,
Spinning, spinning, spinning.
I was obsessed.
All that mattered
Was that I should hide away,
Reject a world of beauty.
I was unworthy.
*
I created my own prison.
But it was more than a prison;
It was a shelter, a haven, a cell,
Where I could play dead.
*
I lay, enclosed.
*
Outside were
Lovely blossoms,
Brilliantly feathered birds,
Trees weighed down with magnificence.
What right had I to compete?
Call it an inferiority complex
If you like.
I only know that I sought sleep
As an escape.
*
At last, I slept,
Unknowing, uncaring, unthinking.
*
Then I woke.
And oh the pain!
Every part of me ached!
I felt sticky, constricted, spiky, odd.
It was a nightmare.
I had hated myself,
But not this much!
What was happening to me?
I had to escape!
This was a living hell!
I stretched, pushed, crumbled, splintered,  yawned
And emerged.
I blinked in the sunlight,
Still shaken.
*
It was later that I discovered
That I was one of the most beautiful things on earth!
*

------------------------------------------------------------------


CINDERELLA
(An Acrostic)

Cruelty surrounds you as you wait
Impatiently there alone by the sooty grate
Not for you the excitement of the ball!
Denied to you the magnificence of it all.
Even the Ugly Sisters feel the thrill!
Rejection they've achieved; they wish you ill.
Evil is going to win! There's no way out!
Loneliness is your lot, there is no doubt.
Listen! There comes a tapping at the door!
A Fairy Godmother's here! Find out what for!
*

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

A pleasure to read.

Elizabeth said...

I too think of butterflies as soon as I hear the word emerging. But, also have a liking for fairytales revisited. Wonderful job on both pieces,

Elizabeth

Emmanuel Ibok said...

You described the biological metamorphosis of a butterfly poetical in this poem...That was awesome...perfectly done and best way to follow the prompt.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

The theme might be a bit of a cliché, but you have really brought it to life in un unclichéd poem. A nice one.

Strummed Words said...

The words of an emerging butterfly. Very nice images! My Writer's Island contribution

Diane T said...

An emerging butterfly! What news! (However I heard they don't live longer than a day, LOL Don't know if that is right!) Great poem!

Mary said...

Truly a lovely 'emerging' poem!

ana said...

The darker side of the butterfly!

Peggy Goetz said...

What a beautiful and indeed heartfelt poem about emerging. As I read it I could the feelings and ideas so many ways. Real butterfly, metaphorical butterfly--pleasure to read.

rob kistner said...

so often we do not see our inner beauty, until we can find that quiet peace at our center, and emerge to behold the miracle we are... well done Brenda...

...rob

ms pie said...

gosh, i love yr two tier posts... can't help but to think of kafka's metamorphosis..i guess b/c it seems sorta dark at times.... you did well on the rhyming acrostic!!!

Anonymous said...

GREAT write. Fab take on the prompt. Love and Light, Sender