Vermillion (The color of my knees)

Gracefully
I watched you fall into bed sheets.
The white eternity.
Fixed my clumsy smile
my smudged red lips
"For liberty."
That's what you said

Whisper,
"Dirty girl"
But I cleaned that half moon grime
Underneath my nails
Not even with the edge of my teeth
Yet, you whisper,
"Filthy child"

Drinking,
When I thought you wanted me sober
Glow, you wanted me to glow
Set my skin on fire
In those places
Like the back of my knees
That I scrubbed red raw

Snapshot
I gave to my lover
I always look cleaner in black and white.
Father figure
Never did I want you to be that
But I brushed my knotted hair
And you named me your baby
Your little disaster.

Reviews

[cilla]

I truly, truly love your work in large part because you have a natural word sense � the ability to find the precise combination of syllables and sounds that give your poems a haunting magic.

Your words here are sharp and edgy and unrepentant. A woman on her knees becomes not prayerful but a denigration that repeats itself like an condemning film loop.

This is excellent work.

[The Cougar's Den]

Wow. Powerfully written....pangs travel through me and I find myself speechless...

[Brjden (Bridge-Den) Cre..]

Very interesting write! You use great metaphors and intelligent creativity! Great write!