The Stairs

The deafening sound of silence

reaches like delicious tendrils

through the dark, cold night.

Creeping across my skin,

stinging my nerves like angry bees;

as I wait by the edge of the stairs.

 

Slicing the silence like the sharpest knife,

a sound, a hum, a melancholy tune

drifting through the air.

So clearly dead, and yet so sweet,

this song, it lifts my soul!

 

Rising to my perch atop the stairs,

it kisses me softly on the cheek;

So cold, so sad,

as if the words had been written for me.

 

Night after night,

hour after hour,

that same haunting tune

is stuck in my head!

 

At the top of the stairs I wait all day long;

an addict, in desperate need

of my next disgustingly beautiful fix.

But deafening silence is the only sound

that reaches out to me, on this cold, dark night.

 

Instead, the smell of flowers

graces the darkness and her malicious plight.

I see it now, the truth

I tried so hard to disregard;

the song I loved is forever broken.

 

Resting for eternity under millions of stars

melancholy shards make a hard pillow,

against the bottom of the stairs.

Such a brilliant resting place

for damaged innocence.

 

Fragrant flowers continue to press

throughout the night,

Marking a death, a funeral

And the birth of new life.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. Reviews always welcome.

Photograph by Kristin Lee

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this death, funeral and rebirth all seem to be pointing at the muse...and how it uses us and spits us out...we feel the death of words we can't come up with, the poems that die before they are born, but then the rebirth because when we get to the top of the stairs..the addict needing the fix...and in the darkness we find her again.

and we feel alive...


anyway, that is where this piece took me...i love it.

one spot, did you mean "rising" at the beginning of stanza three?

now on to look at more of your work.

[Kristin Lee]

I sure did mean "rising." Thank you so much for the good eyes!

And yes, the death, funeral and rebirth could be pointing to the muse. I wrote this piece when I was much younger, so it was definitely an abstract reference. Most likely a reference to the continuation of life for the living after we say goodbye to the dead -those who lie sleeping/weeping at the bottom of the stairs.

[icelandicblue]

What a stunning photograph. You capture the power of the photo in this piece. I have one small suggestion. You've got three quick similes right at the beginning of the poem. You might want to change on of them. For instance, The stinging of angry bees creeping across my skin. Just a thought- the poem is fabulous.

[Kristin Lee]

Thank you, photography is a hobby of mine, and I live for the Ocean. Thanks for the helpful review.

[B-poet]

A very compelling and distinguished write. I loved the picture of the lightshore near the seashore's of peace and tranquility. The last stanza is my favorite part though. Embracing an ascension for the soul and embracing the concept of life after death. Great write. :)

[Kristin Lee]

Thank you very much. I actually took that picture about a year ago on the Oregon coast. Flipping through my picture catalogues it was the one that seemed to fit the best.

[Sami Khalil]

"Night after night

Hour and after

That same haunting tune is stuck in my head



At the top of the stairs I wait for the tune"
Lovely , just lovely...:)

[Kristin Lee]

Thanks :)

[Sami Khalil]

My pleasure...:)

[s y e]

Opening Comments
I loved this; I think it was really well written. It was really touching; a funeral is a really hard thing to go through even after losing a loved one.

Moods
It was really touching and emotional, it really touched my heart. I love the way you summed up the atmosphere.

Imagery

“Raising to my perch at the top of the stairs
It kisses me softly on the check
So cold, so sad, as if it the words had been written for me" I loved this, the image was so vivid. I especially liked the line “Raising to my perch at the top of the stairs”

Grammar and Spelling
I loved the wording of this, it was written with so passion and truth. Really well done.
You did spell “Cheek” wrong though.

Closing Comments
I loved it. Love the emotion.

[Kristin Lee]

Thank you, I really appreciate the breakdown of everything. Yes, spealling is not my strongest suit. And when I get rushed by my house it makes it even harder for me to have the critical eye that I should. But that is hopefully why I have readers/reviwers like you :) Thank you. That's how one improves their work!

[s y e]

The pleasure is all mine. We all make mistakes so I can't exactly talk but I want to help everyone on here. :)

[Astro]

It's very sad and beautiful, I especially like the end and how you sum up the atmosphere of the piece. I also, love the counterpoint of the sound of silence and the song of loss. You have a couple of small errors in this part, "Raising to my perch at the top of the stairs
It kisses me softly on the check
So cold, so sad, as if it the words had been written for me"
You've spelled "cheek" wrong, and in the last part, you don't need the word "it" in this line, it's a bit clunky. It's not that it doesn't work, it still makes sense, but calls for a brief pause in speech. Keep up the good work, love the emotion.

[Kristin Lee]

Thank you - I appreciate the critical eye. I got rushed by everything in my household and this one definetly needs some edits :)

[Astro]

Glad to help, goodness knows we all need an objective eye from time to time.