Picture Frame

In this little picture frame

You sit still at my right hand

Your presence a symbol of loyalty, friendship

But your warm lips stay painfully silent

Your beautiful eyes stay closed

Your cold posture decrees that you don’t love me

And it breaks my heart

 

He stands over me, to my left

Yelling obscenities, punctuated by “but I love you”

He whispers apologies

Each time he’s out of insults to scream

Each time clenched fists need to recharge

But I’ve turned my back

I don’t want to see

 

And right behind me stands my friend

A guardian, protector in time of need

A pillar of strength when I start to fade

When I’m ashamed at the cause of your silence

And I love his endless friendship

But I’m afraid

 

I feel so weak here in the middle

Like I could close my eyes and faint

Fall quietly to the earth below

And let it all just be erased

 

But I don’t want to be this fragile

I want to be the stronger one

I want to make you love again

Allow the hurt to be undone

 

I want to make him run away

Send cold fear coursing through his veins

Then walk so far I can’t be seen

And leave him holding empty chains

 

I want the last to stand beside me

Just the way he always has

And somehow I would find a way

To give him everything he asks

 

But CT, I need you to be there

And I’m sorry, B, but I have to leave

And T, all I can say is thank you

I just need you to believe

 

T, you have been my rock forever

CT, you still hold my heart

And if you trust me, we’ll get through this

I won’t let it fall apart

 

I can do this with your help

I can set the records straight

I’m getting tough, no looking back

To fix this broken picture frame

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

I don't know what I think about this one. Its extremely personal so it may not be as "poetic" as usual. Names were removed for privacy reasons, of course.

Reviews

[Ama May Cooper]

I think the lack of poetic emphasis, gives it more rather than takes it away. The fact that its personal has given you alot ot go, its full of emotion , stacked to the brims of it.... a poem of determination to perfection to be better and strive to be the best oen can be for the ones we love

[HorrorMaster]

Pretty good poem

[Tina Kline]

You're emotions are very well expressed in this poem, the struggle and the pain. Excellent job.

[Chantel]

Oh wow, pretty much exactly what I needed to hear right now...even with the letters, haha, they were somewhat confusing but yeah that was just part of the personal thing like you said...
Thank you sooo much for writing this!

[littlelilypurplebride]

Well i hope things clear up for you send my love and blessings this was quit a emotional and powerful write with faith hopes and fears friends are great to have in times of need. god bless lily

[Daniel Gardner]

hmmm interesting. You must tell me the meaning.

[Jenny Nelson]

Lots of emotion, turmoil, hope, faith, fear. It's hard to write about personal situations... I can't. I'll just do a "feel" and make sure to leave out all personal pronouns. Wonderful job of expression here. Well done.

[Norma M Sutton]

It is interesting. We always have some friends that stick with us no matter what. I think this is a nice tribute to them.

[Eric Richard]

I could relate to the lines, "But I don’t want to be this fragile/I want to be the stronger one/ I want to make you love again/Allow the hurt to be undone".

We all try to be the stronger one even by shutting out people instead of letting them in so we can appear to be strong when we are vulnerable. It is okay to be weak and to fall. It makes us human when we ask for someone else to help us with. I do this one all the time, I try to be strong and shut out people just so I can be seen as the strong one and not the weaker one of the pack.
Very good poem.

[Coyote Poetry]

Sometime we do need time to think. When we feel closed in. A poem with a lot of internal struggle. A very good poem.
Coyote