Waves slaughter the silence

 I walk down a child’s path, thin and worn, with the angel on my arm. Her smile breathes the sunshine.  She now extends her hand and I sense the gentle quiet of her touch. In a moment the bright sky is blemished with a demons’ darkness, and I hear the howl of a beast. Sarah screams above the roar:

 

“In my eyes are the numberless lies

of one possessed with frenzied fears.

And though I draw you close, my hand extends

to keep you distant from my tears.”

 

     I turn to her vision and say,

 

“O child, you dare not age,

until your haunting pain subsides.

And running breathless though standing still,

your howling fear now hides.”

 

     She is torn from my embrace, caught into the winded air and flung into the screaming sea. In anguish I search for her across the horizon. The waves slaughter the silence with their roar, but I see only their movement. With each step and stride the pricking salt odor suffocates my vision. Rising out of the water is a shimmering bloody specter that hovers with a horror, and then dissipates like a milky mist.

     Sarah’s hand rises above the waves, reaching as it were toward the hand of Icarus. As the nimbus moon wanders overhead, she lifts above the billowing rage in a crimson gown. I look intently into her olive eyes, which seem ever filled with desperation. We now both stand so close, and yet in isolation.  She reaches for my hand as tears flood her face, but I slip slowly beyond her grasp.

Author's Note

From chapter five of "An owl on the moon”… Echoes of an Angel: May

Reviews

[Just Kim]

“O child, you dare not age,
until your haunting pain subsides.
And running breathless though standing still,
your howling fear now hides.”

Wow! I really love this write, This is so very good.
I like your writing skills, i have been reading your stuff for a while
now and I really enjoy it,

[Neville]

Blissfully beautiful but oh' so very, very tragic, as are of course so many of the true great writes.... Neville

[An owl on the moon]

So glad to have your kindness, my friend. Yes, even winter words can open springs worlds.

[Neville]

It is a pleasure & true, my fine literary Friend..... Neville

[emmajoy]

For me there's such a challenge running through both prose and verse as if you hold SArah's life more precious that breath itself; as if the inevitable will happen, like it or not. The fantasy takes sway over the norm,, your words calm then fly again... trying to find peace somewhere, anywhere.. But your parting, your loss is as crueL as cruel can be... There's a restlessness in this..

[An owl on the moon]

Oh dear Emma! Thank you so much for your words... for your insights into the lines... yes, this is the chaos of my mind... always in poetry and prose... mingled... restless. How I appreciate your kind heart here, for these years now. May peace fill you and the lives of all your precious ones.

[Sami Khalil]

From the title till the last line are all good and worthy. I felt the power of words and emotions. I like visions and their interpretations. An excellent write that resonates.

[An owl on the moon]

So thankful for your kindness. This flowed from a very dark, aching place.

[Sami Khalil]

I understand. You are welcome .

[just is]

This is a really well written write. I enjoyed this

[Alfred Kukitz]

so near yet so far away!

regards,
al

[An owl on the moon]

Much appreciated, my friend!

[Micah]

I like the word choices you made while writing this. It contributed to the symbolism of this poem

[An owl on the moon]

Thanks so much, Micah. Good to have you by.

[barleygirl]

This is exquisitely written. The title line is so well-crafted, every writer wishes he/she had thought of something so perfect. And you use this line well later on in the poem, surrounded by equally well-crafted lines (love that section). I like the way you mix poetry & prose, the way you mix soft imagery with harsh imagery. I read most of this thinking in terms of two entities, as if the one poem answers the other. But when I got to this part: “Rising out of the water . . . “ I started to think as if both entities are contained within the same person. It’s like at very tough times in life, a part of me breaks off & is lost, so I no longer exist as the person I used to be (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[An owl on the moon]

So grateful for your insights, your kindness, your encouragement, dear Margie. Am glad that you could connect to the movement of the words, currents flowing in separation, then merging into the one. Blessings and hugs for your new day.

[Karmee]

WOW, so very delightful really. enchanting indeed. awesome write