Every Color
Man in black
is every color you said
scrawling your beaten poetry
in my sophomore 3 ring, messy and dark
as the purple glyphs on my neck;
walk a child's skip
so proud so lost
so proud so lost
dreaming down the narrow halls
of a madman from Odessa
drawling southern meltwords into
Chicago snow.
You thought first times
You thought first times
were a gift; I who
thought you were the giver
found out soon after
found out soon after
what all the free really means
first drug there and gone
before needle finds arm.
You called me Angel
which only goes to show
we know nothing of angels
on this earth
only devils
only devils
who know us
too well.
~September 2012
Posted for Poetics at dVerse Poets Pub
Fred Rutherford makes his first appearance as host today, appropriately asking us to write about First Times
Optional Dylan
extra-optional texas hillbilly music
Public domain via wikipaintings.org
ugh..the first shot is for free but then you pay with everything you have until there's nothing left...great images like we're used to from you and yeah...we don't know enough about angels here on earth..
ReplyDeleteNice line: "Men in Black / is every color you said"
ReplyDeleteand so the devil does not discriminate. Lucky for this little one that the first time included loss:
"what all the free really means
first drug there and gone
before needle finds arm." and awareness.
I love "beaten poetry" and "a child's skip so proud" and "dreaming down the narrow halls"
My first drug awareness was helping a friend on a bad trip, which was lucky too, I guess, as it scared the living 12#@#@!! out of me.
oh snap...only devils that know us oh too well...for sure hedge...they bate you then bleed you....both in drug but also those that do it in relationship as well....wish i had seen a bad trip before i had one...just saying....
ReplyDeletegreat opening line, the color black and it's symbolic representation is a terrific foreshadowing property. The discussion on angels and in essence humanity I really liked, the ending, only devils know us too well- really does a fantastic job linking back to the opening line, and also makes quite a profound statement of its own. Thanks Hedge, terrific piece.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Fred, for a great prompt. He was a Johnny Cash freak, of course.
DeleteMan in black...drawling southern meltwords into
ReplyDeleteChicago snow ..that image stuck with me.
Free is not always free, there are ties that bind us to the devil.
Lovely writing Hedge ~
everything I want to say is coming out as wordless sounds. I feel a deep familiarity here. "You called me Angel" "drawling southern meltwords into Chicago snow" I'm there. and it is cold.
ReplyDeleteWow - so strong, acid, compelling, terrifying/ble (as in terrible.) The Southern meltwords is such a great description, but then when we get to the devil so so sad.
ReplyDeleteThe whole beginning (and end) of the second stanza so intense and strong -what's free, what's given - an old story, but told with great freshness here - compelling detail - and modern, of course. As always, Joy, so well done. (Not a first time for that!) k.
Thanks, k. A very long time ago now--it was interesting to open that old box.
Delete"thought you were the giver
ReplyDeletefound out soon after
what all the free really means"
a hard lesson to learn and yet I'm sure it's very common... I wish I could say I couldn't relate...very powerful and moving... leading to a great ending.
Great hook, I was right there........and especially love the closing lines. Sadly, there are not nearly enough angels down here for the millions who need one. Powerful write, kiddo.
ReplyDeletedark, deep poetry. loved it!
ReplyDeletei have met the Devil many times, in many forms. i am still here on Earth through the grace of more than one angel in human form.
ReplyDeletethe undercurrent of this poem struck me as very raw. an excellent and intriguing write, as always, Joy.
♥
Bold and underscores the healing properties of poetry, I think..
ReplyDeleteWow, this is terrific. It goes deeper each time you read it!
ReplyDeleteBitter and dark yet a sense of reflected release from the truth of youth certainty
ReplyDeleteDark with the pain of disillusionment...but poignant and uplifting too
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant, and so true! Excellent write!
ReplyDelete"Angels" ! Right -- we joke. Well done !!
ReplyDeletejust one too many mornin's
ReplyDeleteone too many lovers
one too many conversations
one too many criers
one too many liars
who never put a ring on my finger
one too many is the first one
who lets you down...
A gift that morphs into a sentence. I think I will look a little differently at the speeders I cross paths with now. I'll look to see if I can see the angel that was.
ReplyDeleteI have to laugh at myself. When I read "Odessa", my first thought was Russia, not Texas. (Actually, it's now independent Ukraine.)
ReplyDeleteOnce I got myself on the right continent, I just loved those last three lines of the first stanza. I can see (hear?) him plain as anything, just from that. And you claim you don't do brevity well. Please.
The rest of it was hard to read, having known too many devils like that myself. This is vintage Hedgewitch. In other words, give me that babushka so I can cover my bald head.
Perfect pitch meets the stark reality of drug use infused with the incredible phrases of your poetic being. Watched the spiraling out of my brother so this hits close to home with profundity.
ReplyDeleteJoy- I am such a huge fan of your poetry...not just because I love your voice, your style, but because ou deal with subjects on the fringes of life, the stuff we don't easily face. This told me a story about first love maybe, maybe about infactuation, but then the second half talked uncomfortably about drug use...and the destruction of a relationship (to me anyway)- just love getting my teeth not your words...so good
ReplyDeleteThank you Stu--yours was one of my favorites--you always come from a place I can never see until you show it to me.
DeleteA snapshot into another world, the joy and then the evil. You get drawn in as you read on. Powerfull. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Devils really come to know the better of us in time... after no more of us is left anymore!!
ReplyDeleteHugs xoxo
(apologies I got mixed up... have several of those windows up here at my screen)
I removed it for you Olivia--I know, I have a hard time with that sometimes too. I really wish everyone would allow or put their name at the bottom of their blogposts.
DeleteOh, that man in black... The dark side so many of us find attractive, misguided angels....
ReplyDeleteKiller ending here, on lessons learned the hard way, life, love, the wisdom of age.