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Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. Leonard Cohen

Monday, December 12, 2011

Mermaid in Blue Jeans

Personal Challenge #2

The inimitable Fireblossom issued me the second Personal Challenge here at Toads (do I hear the collective sigh of relief from the rest of you Toads that you don't have to compose a poem to follow her 2 jewels of the previous week? I thought so!)  My challenge was to choose a song about which I felt strongly and write about my associations to it. 

After several days of mouse-like concentration, I finally decided upon "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos. This song speaks to me about a part of myself that somehow got lost during my years of focusing on my career and early motherhood.

Stolen Voice by Saturated Insanity

I heard the song
of the crimson haired mermaid
I heard her voice
and mine echoed back

Once upon a time
I, too, traded my voice
to an evil witch
She had many names and
many faces
but they all looked like me
only without my flaws
without my scars

Mermaid in blue jeans
I cut off my tongue
to walk among mortals
I found love but
lost my muse
to the sea foam
I rent my blouse
where no one would see

I should have known
tattered garments leave the marrow
cold
years of silence are
deafening
and the most evil witches
are those in the glass

 In my head
I kept hearing her song
I whispered a note
and the mermaids answered
I sang
and the glass shattered
I screamed
and heard my own voice
no longer silent

I sing
I sing
I sing of love
of sex
of death
of blood
and it's not always beautiful
and it's not perfect
but it's true.



submitted by lolamouse for Personal Challenge #2 at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

6 comments:

Brian Miller said...

this is fantabulous...my fav lines...

Mermaid in blue jeans
I cut off my tongue
to walk among mortals
I found love but
lost my muse

dang. nice.

Kerry O'Connor said...

And I've come over here to tell you again how meaningful and poignant your poem is, with a song to break the heart of woman.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for THIS.

As always, you astound me.

Jotter Girl said...

love this Lola.

Fireblossom said...

Keep singing, girl!

Pat Tillett said...

Amazing! You just get better and better!