Of Blues Songs and Bible Stories

 

In recent weeks
my family has seen
illness
in the form
of viruses, pink eye,
ear infection,

sinus infection,

bladder infection,

crippling depression.

And on top of that

We have been eaten
from the inside out
from the worry,
anxiety, and stress
of a relentless

court battle.

And so

 

the bank balance drops
with the consistency
of the mercury
and the sun
and it’s a cold,

dark time
to be scraping a
living when

you feel

like dying.

And then

I buried my cat
Monday night
as my wife

and daughter
looked on.
Their tears

diluted further by

the cold, stinging rain.
His name was

Lucky and

his luck had

run out
and it seamed

a dream
looking at his

shallow grave and his

provisional tombstone

watered by

the dark sky.

But

 

this was reality.

And I began to wonder,
what’s next?

Have we been plagued?
Does god hate us this much?

Does the devil not like us enough?

If so,

 

bring on the locusts
and the rivers of blood

and lakes of fire.
Bring on

all the pestilence you will,

just get it
over with.
I don’t care
what we did
or didn’t do
to warrant
such madness.
Let’s

just get it

over with.

I am tired

of this
blues song.

 

And yet

 

I continue to sing it.

Reviews

[DavidRyan]

Brilliant. Very few writers have the talent to paint an incredible picture in such a short space, but you managed to do it with ease. The imagery is insanely strong -- from the sicknesses, to the dying cat, to the struggling to make ends meet -- everything you've written about is something everyone can relate with or have/or are living through. Inspiring words at the end, how you're sick and tired of singing "this blues song" but you continue doing it anyway.

[*~Kristy~*]

I can see that you are really struggling with your religious belief. It's okay. Everyone has that struggle. You either come out with a YES, I believe....or a NO, I do not believe...

Which one will you be?

That's the question isn't it? The one that MUST be resolved.

[Nicole]

I agree with what was said previously - this could have easily "gone wrong", but you really create something poignant from an abrasive acknowledgement of your reality. I loved the style, the title and connection throughout the life of the poem. I definitely appreciate and relate.

[Babbette Francis]

I believe we've all felt this way a time or two or in some cases- mine- more times than I can count. I was never brave enough to call down fire from Heaven though I have prayed to not wake the next morning. It is in my troubled times that I prayed the hardest. Maybe thats what God wanted from me to begin with.
Maybe it was all meant to make a writer out of me, who knows why these horrible things happen in our lives. All I know is that we live on and if singing the blues is what it takes to get us through, then do it. If nothing else by the time the struggle ends we would have written many songs to sing, in them answers to help our brother/sister get through the same hell that we may have otherwise forgotten in our better days.

Love it...I totally relate- as you can see!

[Emily B]

You walk a fine line here. This kind of rant could easily go very wrong in a hurry. But you pulled it off.

And the title is perfect.