Thursday 29 July 2010

When my mind sways towards the morbid ...

Well, this is my last day (again!) of blogging until 16th August. This time for a REAL vacation. I don't have to work for two weeks! YAY!
So I'm going to leave you with a poem, which was actually inspired by a book, written by a fellow blogger of ours, Karen Gowen. It's called Farm Girl (the book, not my poem). 
Now I say inspired, not based on. Do not get these words confused :o) My mind can sway towards the morbid quite often, and in this case it has.

This could probably do with a little tweaking, but here you are anyway ...

As the fire burns, so does hate
Daddy’s children run through the open gate
The sun is hot and the grass is dry
Mummy cries as crops begin to die

The drought has lasted many months
And the carving tools have grown quite blunt
The baby cries – it tries to breathe
The mother sighs – she tries to weave

Father kills their last little lamb
And collects dirty water from the dried up dam
He prays to the heavens for it to rain
Prays for a savior to wash away their pain

They can no longer live on water and bread
Pretty soon he thinks they’ll all be dead
They huddle together on their collapsing porch
Waiting for the flames to burn and scorch

Believe in miracles, Daddy does not
Behind the pickles, he finds his last shot
To save his family – thier lives he must claim
And believe life must end, to begin again

On shot. Two shots. Three shots. Four?
He pokes his head through the fly wire door
His family lie dead on the crackling lawn
Begging for their souls to be reborn

As the fire burns, so does hate
He listens to it roar, past the open gate
The flames are hot, and his mouth is dry
The time has come
for the last
seed
to
die

Check back on the 16th August. I've got a really awesome surprise for you all during that week, and believe me, you won't want to miss it! ;o)

Happy Holidays!

19 comments:

  1. Well done! Enjoy your vacation.

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  2. How sad! (sniff sniff)

    Enjoy your REAL vacation!

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  3. Have fun on your holidays and I hope the strike that is now getting out of hand, doesn't affect you.

    The poem was awesome.

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  4. Wow, Jess, this poem is emotionally intense and descriptively rich. Well done! (Karen's Farm Girl is on my To-Read list, as is Uncut Diamond.)

    Have a blast on vacation :D Meet you back here after 8/16!!

    ((hugs)) Nicole

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  5. OMG. I just got chills. That was disturbing. I'm super sensitive to phrases like these. They make me immediately think of and care for those poor children...I feel sad now:(

    I will miss you!!! Email me! I'll get your shirt ordered too.

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  6. That was intense! You really captured the desperation that led up to the violence; creepy!
    Have a great vacacation!

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  7. I love a good, sad poem. ;-)

    Enjoy the vaca!!

    ~JD

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  8. Whew! That's strong. I probably should have waited until after work to read it :)

    Enjoy your vacation!

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  9. Very profound Jessica, puts our own lives into perspective. A person must be desperate to do such a thing.

    This week in the UK a father stabbed his wife and also killed his two children why? only himself knew that.....he hung himself.

    Enjoy your holiday/

    Yvonne,

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  10. Great job!
    Enjoy your time!
    See you on the 16th :)

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  11. Intense, whew! Well done, although the next person who picks up Farm Girl after reading your poem will wonder where the intensity is, where the hell is the fire, and when does the murder happen LOL. I love that you felt inspired by Farm Girl and expressed it in your own way, with your own creative and personal slant. How cool is that.

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  12. Poignant. Well done.

    Enjoy a wonderful vacation :)

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  13. Wow. Chilling and powerful. Well done.
    Wishing you an amazing and work free vacay <3

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  14. Well done- very sad!

    Have a fantabulous vacation!

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  15. Love the poem, Jessica. Very intense.

    Have a GREAT vacation! For real!

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  16. This is deliciously intense! I love this. Seriously. Enjoy your vacation.

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  17. Well that IS dark... but beautiful in its gruesome way. Have a FABULOUS vacation, Jessica!

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  18. hi miss jessica! im glad youre getting back to your holiday. i hope you have lots of fun. im gonna miss you. your poem is real sad. cant wait to see more of your pretty pictures from you trip.
    ...hugs from lenny

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  19. Wow! That is morbid. ANd in poetry. I'm not worthy ... I'm not worthy (bad Wayne and Garth imitation),

    Stephen Tremp

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