Sledgehammer

A moment in the grist mill of life

I am thinking of a falling stone

How the landing ripples

Earth and water

Air and elemental fury

 

We are slaves to

The dropping of slate or granite

Of limestone or scale or gravel

We are churt crushed into powder

 

All of us are women caught

In adultery with no Jesus

To intervene and the weight

Comes crashing against the frame

 

We are houses of sticks

For the wolf to take as tinder

Something fragile something born

Something here that cannot last

 

It wrecks us all the

Flight of fossils but where

Do we go when the light

Of the petrified forests

 

Burns no more

-Zoe Richardson (2021)

Author's Note

Stones. Sticks. Words. Let them fly!

Reviews

[keith]

well now poetess, story teller and perhaps spinner of tall yawns. such welcome pleasure you have brought to these most often boring pages! somehow i doubt you are 'new' as one might say.
an interesting comparison between stones and women taking no caution no wind no prisoners!
where does one go when the fires burn no more? deep within.
a most thoughtful and precise measure of that you see in the mirror.

[Zoe Richardson]

I am new to this website. Not new to poetry. How clever of you to notice! And how interesting your insights. I say that when that light burns no more, we find a new source of fuel. After all, crushed rock becomes oil with the passing of time!

[shadrach hah]

Hi Zoe, you certainly make the words fly. Adultery, a scourge in a woman's world. Indeed, the knowledge would strike like a sledgehammer. Why it ever happens I will never know. Another powerful write from your pen, Zoe. Outstanding work. Have a wonderful Friday. Hugs always....Mike.

[Zoe Richardson]

You can see the consequences of adultery here, can't you? It's actually about growing older, facing the fact that you are mortal and fragile and the bad things just keep coming. Adultery is definitely one of those bad things! Thank you so much for your insight and for showing me my poetry in a new light.

[shadrach hah]

Hi Zoe, it is strange how we sometimes write our work with a specific thought in mind but the reader may see something different in our words. That makes poetry what it is. Have a wonderful Saturday. Hugs always....Mike.

[Unspoken poet]

All of us are women caught
In adultery with no Jesus

WOW! these are some amazing words here,
Such an intriguing write.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"women caught in adultery with no Jesus"
sighs of Mary Magdalene ---
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

your title drew me in Zoe .. i like the work you have done with stones and sticks ;) and i like the turn to abstract in the closing .. sparks the imagination .. we are all fragile yet strong at the same time .. timing and circumstance can make all the difference in the world as to how we react to unforeseen adversity or squashing slate (love that slate line) hardened hearts and petrified forests are one and the same aren't they .. thought provoking read says i!
E.
ps. what in the world did you say to Sami to upset him so much? he is always such a gentleman .. his poetry rich and many times very romantic .. none of my business of course; but i hope you patch things up with him ..

[Zoe Richardson]

I have absolutely no idea what that is about. I am never disrespectful to other writers. I always praise and find good things to say about their work. I only commented on one of their poems, so maybe they have me confused with someone else? I wish they would approach me with maturity and mutual understanding so we could discuss it. Anyway, I am glad you liked this poem, and I appreciate you taking the time to be so thorough in your comments!

[Zoe Richardson]

And apparently I am blocked, even though I haven't been on this site since Monday. I'm starting to wonder if my account has been hacked or something.

[Einstein Noodle]

sounds like one of your pages has been hacked .. that would make a lot of sense .. Sami may not even know about the comment here .. i will message him for you it you like so perhaps the issue can be cleared up .. i enoy both your poetry and Sami has been around here for quite a while .. in the meantime you may want to change your password .. i suggest the same to him .. later gator! ;)

[Zoe Richardson]

Thank you. I am going to change it right now!

[Einstein Noodle]

:) ...............................