It's a Wrap

it's a wrap 

frankincense, cedar, myrrh and 

linens with

tincture of anger

Mercurochrome teeth to clean with

salmagundi of blame and defense

like rancid flax and floss

spiteful salt skin scrubbing

its like ...................... grass blade finger cut , 

paper  thin-sliced meat .......and

incubated

coming to roost ........ digging to root

eggs of malcontent

murdering heart and soul

               another heated spoonful 

                                                    bite down         

brown dope

..............................................brown paper bag

a suicide.                      a

murder suicide

of the heart 

and soul.

but  don't mind me;

................................i don't know my neighbor

i barely know myself.

E.

 01/20/2020

Author's Note

Reviews

[DIVYA]

Such vivid imagery, dear E. The mercurochrome teeth we bare, the salt we scrub on bleeding wounds, grass blade finger cuts and the eggs of malcontent and mal-intent we lay in them and watch those maggots of death hatch and spurt through.

Do we do all this to things and people most precious? Yes, we do. Are we so evil and vile...perhaps yes or perhaps no...Perhaps, as you said, we are just lost....

I enjoyed and loved this read.

[Einstein Noodle]

you certainly captured the mood and intent Divya .. i appreciate the depth and sensitivity in your review .. thanks so much for taking time

[DIVYA]

It’s always a pleasure, dear E. Loved this write. 🤗

[wordman]

and you barley know your self,seems we all kinda do that with others
and we hurt ourselves because of it

[Einstein Noodle]

sometimes for sure! can't love another without first loving ourselves ... i believe that with all my heart wordman ... throw God into the mix and love surely does cover a multitude of sins ;)) appreciate your stopping by and reviewing sir .. always important to me
E.

[wordman]

you`re welcome e

[Ken Simm.]

Such words and concepts. The anonymous charaters just add more to the absolute drama of this piece of history. I think it is amazing tht these things keep happening. These horrible things that somehow you have turned into the starkest kind of beauty. Like the man said each of these characters is like a setting sun.

[Einstein Noodle]

we really haven't changed much at all have we Ken :( pity eh!? it should be so easy ... but for fear, greed and avarice ... we possibly could live closer to the Garden ... i afraid it ain't gonna happen tho ... if it were it would have long ago .. really appreciate your reading and sharing your thoughts Ken .. i do take them to heart .. love on ya brother! :)
E.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Amazing poetry E.N.! More anonymous bodies and hooded sins against humanity. Cuts to the heart of the matter with a cruel, “paper thin sliced meat” ,knife of apathy? Greed? Lust for power? Pain? Poverty? Ignorance? Fear? -all of the above?? Frightening, graphic, powerful metaphor and imagery used here throughout. Dramatic, staccato style with infinite pauses gets the point across in more ways than one. “Murder, suicide of the heart and soul.”- doesn’t matter which one anymore- eggs are lain and poison dispersed. Genocide of the mind. Your last verse is a reality gut-punch and the true symptom of the underlying societal disease. Will be pondering your memorable and fatalistic wake-up call. Thank you for writing these words.

[Einstein Noodle]

thank you so much Annette ... your in depth reading of this touches me ... truly does ... we can get ourselves into the muck too easily ... what is it the Bible teaches ....... yes "13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Mathew 7:13-14 ... thank you again for your read and review .. you really have made my day today ... tho the subject of this poem is rather dark ... you gave me a smile :)))
E.

[Eilis]

The photo you have paired with this poem is haunting. It makes me think of the photo of the Syrian child from a few years ago who had washed up on a beach. The ways people and situations become objectified and normalized until we no longer feel the natural coursing of shock when we encounter them.

Your sometime drug-using metaphor kind of gets to the heart of that. The numbness and need that accompany the addict's life. The push and pull between seeing the darkness that surrounds but being somewhat blinded to it as well.

There is much to be troubled about in our public discourse/mindset. So many influences and not enough truth or sense. When truth is defined by what we want to see come to fruition it is very difficult to confront the underlying problems and root them out.

This is a stirring poem. Read it several times trying to come to grips with it. Which seems appropriate as that is what I find myself doing most days when confronted by our current reality. Great work, E.

[Einstein Noodle]

thank you for taking time Eilis! your review is thoughtful and in depth ..i could not agree more with everything this poem inspired in you ... i can not feel more gratified .. thank you so much ..means a lot to me!
E.

[Pete Langley]

It`s graphic, mate. I could expound on my personal view of humankind, but I wont. Sadly, we`re living in an age where degradation is apparent immediately it happens....which makes it become commonplace and easier to accept as the norm. The goodness of our species is pushed to the back pages. This piece moved me. P.

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks Pete! we break apart on so many levels it seems ... it gets scary for me sometimes when the degredation seems to permeate the whole of a society ..so grateful for the bit of Faith i have .. and for poets and poetry ;) on another note...Will you share pieces of your new novel here at the Cafe'?
E.

[Pete Langley]

Hi Gene....first, it`s not a new novel. I started writing it 8 years ago, reached 30,000 words and stalled - mainly because writing poetry got in the way. But I`m being nagged by some (successful!) literary friends to finish the damned thing! What I will do is put a couple of the early chapters on the Cafe for a short time. You might want to catch a short story I`ve already posted. P

[Einstein Noodle]

i will check that out ... i have enjoyed your poetry very much Pete .. and truly did miss you around here .. began to worry something had happened to you ... well .. off to check your story ;)

[Verse]

Eggs of malcontent

You had me there. I was already in, swimming in the irony of incubation post mortem. Then I reached the murder suicide, and almost fell off my chair!!!

Never seen such a sharp cut directly to the heart of the issue, not in those words.

Darkly lovely!!!

V

[Einstein Noodle]

you like that huh!? ;)))))))))) thank you so much .. what a wonderful encouraging review Verse!! very very happy and grateful to you for reading and your reactions .. peace and love!
E.

[Susan 🦋]

"I don't know my neighbor" or do we choose not too? Are hearts too hardened to feel anothers pain? How different this world would be if the eyes saw the pain and the heart wrap another in warmth and compassion.

[Einstein Noodle]

its almost a crime to see your sunny smile and face on the page of my dark poem ;) but thank you so much! i think it is most definitely a choice ... not only to know our neighbors but first of all... our selves ... i appreciate your words pointing to that kind of empathy and compassion ... i don't think we can climb out of the mire without them ... a real treat to have your read and review this one my friend .. peace and joy!
E.

[R.E. Ray]

E., I think this can be taken as a deeply introspective piece, and perhaps a view of the world today. Though we're living in one of the longest periods of peacetime (relative, of course), the social tension and factions seem to bring their own wars. We identify not as humans but sorted marbles in different boxes, the play things of politicians. Though raw and dark, I think you've captured the mood of many Americans today.

[Einstein Noodle]

you hit the mark sir ... your review could not be more comprehensive and sensitive .. thanks so much .. so grateful for this encouraging review :) and i agree about the state of the Nation .. if it weren't so hurtful .. i would call it mundane .. the outpouring of hateful soundbites is astounding to me .. there seems no end to it :( thanks again for taking time here R.E. .. much appreciate it!
E.

[Paul Bell]

The meek will inherit the earth. ''Read that somewhere.''
The power lies with the haves, descent lies with the have-nots.
Big powder keg out there, bound to blow at some point.
Got a feeling this might be the year for it.

[Einstein Noodle]

i hope not Paul .. i truly do .. thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts .. the turn around of the American economy is very hopeful ... but human condition remains a harsh dichotomy :(
E.

[Paul Bell]

Was that a month ago. It didn't take long, did it.

[emmajoy]

The graphic, your words, the power and darkness, the screams and insanity.. everything wrong and worse. Chaos. My mind tells me that we each contribute something regrettable at least once a week. If everyone put up a hand to that.. the planet would take off.. then, mess with space as has with Earth. What's cursed is now illy distributed; each hand raised to help might well have a blade in it; every blade cuts a hole in our bloody atmosphere and meantime, some refuse to accept how uncivilised we've become.

Could say more but, will merely add that you, dear sir, have opened a grand box of worms, maggots and all else worth thinking about, talking about then, getting off the butt and doing something about. Great write, superb phrasing, logic and emotion finely welded because you mean every word. Thank you.

Returned and corrected my typos Sincere apologies.

[Einstein Noodle]

its a dark one alright Emma! thanks so much for soldiering on through it .. yes .. i think the world is a dangerous place ... stepping off the stoop should bring with it an attitude that dinosaurs still exist .. and will devour ...i confess i had to chuckle a little at "...opened a grand box of worms, maggots and all else worth thinking about..." you are a cracker young lady .. (meant as the Irish use it) a woman with spunk ;) thank you again for this encouraging review ... i very honestly feel more confident with it .. love and joy my friend!
E.

[emmajoy]

Just read it again...it's such a powerful write.

[Einstein Noodle]

i meant "corker" not "cracker" ;)

[emmajoy]

I:).. it's fine, I answer to many words and names!

[Einstein Noodle]

chuckling softly now ... your the best Emma!