Penance

i lay down my broken body

late again

on Chatham clay so cold

wet red and uneven near

a fire at my brother’s house

to do the time, to pay

my price for knowing you

 

i rest my prone head

fall dampness in the near morning

on a mighty oak pillow

waiting quietly, patient like for silken dew

to settle easily upon my fetal self

penance for confessed sins

 

shiver is a special kind of love

shiver takes commitment and discipline

to stay the course, to keep your own

heart warm when the wind blows

truth and blood runs blue

when you muscle spasm

until cramps set in

shiver

 

but one don’t quit, one cant

pull the plug on possibility

so just roll over

lay still uneven and cold

until sun warms once more

Reviews

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Powerful, evocative poem and image. Great form, flow, cadence. Haunting imagery “truth and blood runs blue”- frozen in a penitent supplication for unnamed “sins” in the quest of love. Assume the fetal position because “one don’t quit, one can’t”- Superb.

[Joe M.]

Thank you for the heartfelt review. You are more than kind.