The Jar Beneath My Tongue

By Henjansson (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I keep my disappointment in a jar beneath my tongue

and I let it roll around there sometimes

just to see what it tastes like.

Sometimes when I am feeling alone

I take it out,

check its color,

its veneer--

--bright blue lapis.

Today it slides easily 

from one side to another

and a coolness seeps out--

cucumber and mint.

It isn't what I expect of disappointment really.

I had thought a bitter flavor,

or spicy,

so I could feel my anger.

Today as it slips and rolls

in its coolness

I wonder if anger will come

or will its coolness soothe~

copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2012

Reviews

[emmajoy]

Wow goodness of Audrey at her very best! What an intriguing mind you have, what a gift of language .. and the thought of that jar with its lingering flavour,

'Today it slides easily ~ from one side to another ~ and a coolness seeps out--
cucumber and mint. ~ It isn't what I expect of disappointment really. ~ I had thought a bitter flavor, ~ or spicy, ~ so I could feel my anger.'

You've an exceptional gift and i truly admire it.

[Ed Hart]

on the one hand, you know how everyone loves to see how angrily we can express our disappointment; on the other hand, we can keep it bottled (jarred) up and watch it slowly turn toxic within us; or, we can release it, which, unfortunately take decades to learn, and then practice...tough old life, especially for poets

[Chris]

I like the thought of this because eveything should have a unique and distinctive flavor if only to taste it behind our eyes... at least we could knowingly store it away without it's getting confused with other things - like regrets...