BROKEN FENCE

A flaw in the bond...

BROKEN FENCE

 

A broken fence

a flaw in a sisterly bond

siblings on two planets far from each other

in childhood we were never snug

she, with knee-jerk temper

me, hiding behind the stairwell in fear

 

Today I mourn for her life

loner with dog

conversation cuts off the blood flow

inept to share what is deep in the

abyss of her inner core

she disguises behind the thick skin

of remoteness

stoic with shadows locked up

for safe keeping

 

One can find no embrace

into her sphere 

into her heart

no elbow room for me

the fence may never mend

Reviews

[W. Barrett Munn]

Well, this little gem is quite stirring and poignant. The tale is told but we feel it and see it and make it our own. This is poetry.

Winston

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you W for a great review!
Warmly, B

[Bhuyanshi Talukdar]

Indeed! A poignant reflection on the challenges of sibling relationships and the longing for connection👏👏👏

[Betty Hermelee]

A wonderful review and much appreciated
Warmly, B

[Stuart Munro]

One of your best poems , I think

[Betty Hermelee]

I’m honored Stuart, thank you, appreciated
Warmly, B

[Stuart Munro]

Hi Betty , Pleased your ok , you’ve got a real talent at poetry , sorry I’m not a very good at reviewing
Have a great weekend

[Ken e Bujold]

beautifully rendered poem to a great metaphor for life. really enjoyed your poem betty

ken

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you Ken, glad you liked it.
Warmly, B.

[DIVYA]

The broken fence is very symbolic of a relationship beyond repair. In my experience, siblings though born from the same womb are mostly created antagonistic to one another. This may be natural as they compete for the same love and attention, the same set of resources. No surprise then, it’s a rarity to come across close knit siblings.
I loved your description of your sister’s mindset and the beauty with which you described the seemingly hopeless state of the relationship.
Wonderfully written and expressed, dear Betty.

[Betty Hermelee]

Divya, I agree with you dear friend; and at our ages, it's not going to mend.... appreciate your thoughts on this; have a lovely day
Warmly, B

[DIVYA]

You too, my friend have a wonderful day. 🌸

[Betty Hermelee]

Divya dear… do you ever get to New York City? I’m buying a small apt there! Very excited ….maybe we could meet some day💞

[DIVYA]

Of course, dear Betty. I will certainly message you when I visit New York. It would be wonderful if we ever met! ❤️

[Betty Hermelee]

YES!!!!!! xo

[Arundass TP]

A sad episode. Enjoyed reading 🙂

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you for reading
Warmly, B

[Lorry]

Well, the saying we can pick our friends, but we're stuck with our family may be cruel, but it is true at least... And trust me, I should know!
All it took on my families part was for one of them listen long enough to realise that I wasn't "making it up" and my mum/ our mum did indeed have dementia. Only trouble was, they only realised that when she mistook me for her dead brother and they had to get their finger out and do something about it, instead of relying on me to visit her every day, make sure she had food and listen to their excuses of how they were too busy to visit.
They dumped her in a nursing home by the end of the week and didn't even let me know she had died four years later. I was told by the lawyer of her estate!
So yeah, I know exactly what families can be like and nothing is ever as simple as what people think, but luckily for me all it took was changing my phone number and city I lived in to realise what they thought wasn't worth worrying about and sometimes resigning from a family is the best choice... It certainly was for me!
But I see how some bonds are harder to break and I'm sure your sister, like them will have her own moments of truth, where she knows she has to accept that the blame for things may lie at her door.
You can hide from those moments of realisation Betty, but they always find you.
If only things in life were as simple as mending a fence, eh?

[Betty Hermelee]

Very thoughtful review Lorry,and very personal may I add.... As for my sister, we're like oil and water and I think we're both too old to change, but I accept it now....
Warmly, B

[Lisasview]

This is so so sad ... not to be connected to a sibling!
Now that would be torture for me... as I am the eldest of three girls and we are so connected.
I noticed one thing reading your wonderful words dear Betty and that is that your first line is usually directly under your image. May I suggest written to writer that you dropped the first line one line down .. it would make a much better presentation of your words.
Lisa

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you for your review Lisa and for the suggestion!
Warmly,
B.

[Soren]

Family differences. We choose our friends not our family. Yet somehow, we believe that we need to be closer to family than friends. A nice write about a common situation. Very descriptive and with such poetic expressions. "she disguises behind the thick skin of remoteness" "stoic with shadows locked up for safe keeping"

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you for a fine review Soren
Warmly, B