Effigy

A poem about death and rebirth by fire... Based highly on Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus", this piece is a turning point in my book "The Piano & Other Poems" - available now on Amazon.com!

I am an effigy,
a mere model
of myself.

I am complete
with blond hair,
blue eyes,
and crooked teeth.

But this is not me.

This is an illusion -
a boy's self made
mockery,
and there is nothing
on the inside.

No more tears
with which
to scrawl salty,
wet poetry.

I am made
of straw
and have been
for years.

Drag me
through the streets.

My skin
is tissue paper
and shall fall away
from the frame of me.

Then
you will see.

Nothing to fear -
Nick,
Mom,
Heather, dear . . .

I whose mouth moves
may speak,
but is not me.

This is foolery -
a parody,
a copy most exact
but lacks the heart and soul
that still beats
somewhere inside me.

The match is lit.

This sack of straw
soon I shall ignite
and the me
you all love
shall return
the war burned
hero.

He'll have the luck.

He'll make the love.

So raise your glass:
jeer and cheer and say
how queer of me,
to make of myself
an effigy.

The next Adam will come
from the very ash and soot
you poke and stir -

poke and stir...

Reviews

[Delicate Grace]

As always, I love it! You have such a gift for stringing just the right words together that let you achieve such a moving work of art that holds the power to touch the reader on the inside.

"I whose mouth moves
may speak,
but is not me."
There's something about this verse that catches my eye, maybe the mystery it paints or maybe just the way it rolls off the tongue when you read it aloud.

"The next Adam will come
from the very ash and soot
you poke and stir -"
Love the picture this verse instills, dark, but hopeful, while making you wonder if the next Adam is going to show them the same dark respect that they seem to be giving the now Adam...almost like a warning.

Brilliant!

[Amy Bumpas]

Very strong, powerful words, especially at the end.