On the Other Side

Over the horizon rests the deceased and the black skies and

Smokey clouds lift the useless souls above ground

There’s ritual drumming in the background

Monstrous figures dance around a fire

Chanting to their higher power

And there, in the still of night, she lurks in the alley

Young Madeline watches

Her family becoming particles of the black dust

The grand finale

She escapes quickly

Her feet swiftly crossing the darkness without a sound

Leaving behind the shadows

The reapers that have raped her village dry

But her tears weren’t enough to silence the cries

That are hollow to the mind

Of the people that faced demise

Oh sweet Madeline

You must see the lines that tore your innocence

While he was stuck between your thighs

The brutal, blissful torture kept you safe

When the all-knowing began to transpire

You were the survivor of his keeping

Oh Madeline

The other side is not shiny, there is no silver lining

The air you breathe will forever taste bitter

And empty"that rests over the horizon

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

both sides of the fence have burnt grass...there are no greener pastures...

life is life...it is real and many times a bad kind of real...but real nonetheless.

both sides of the coin are dull...

you remind me of Plath and Sexton...

there is beauty in ugly poetry...and i mean ugly in the sense of covering topics that readers really want to read, because it reflects their own darkness.

j.

[Drcicarlo]

I love those similes! You are entirely correct! I do recall reciting a poem by Anne Sexton in the tenth grade. We were covering WWII, perhaps I have found my spirit. I'm only kidding about the spirit part. However, I did refresh myself on a few famous poems by both writers. Thank you for the compliment! They are incredible. I have always been a fan of Edgar Allen Poe because his mysterious and wildly repugnant style has always intrigued me. Your understanding means a lot to me. I have found my niche with dark poetry for that very reason. Ugly poetry is the new abstract.