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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Personal Challenge 6

Last week, Abin challenged me with "sirens/storms" and it got right into my head. Here is my reply:

precipitous
You hover outside my sphere of influence,
ever so close to penetrating within. Just out
of reach, I run my hands along the barrier.
Now, barometric or interior,
pressures are shifting,
the wind is changing. You tell me
my eyes have informed the green of the sky,
the air, and just that fast,
it turns--the supercell whirls gaily toward me.
Your heart, the very center of the bow echo,
sets all the warning sirens shrieking.
That unearthly whine shifts all my dreams,
pierces and stitches. A careful injection
of your inimitable attempts at nonchalance,
at caution, anathematic caution.
For me, caution is just
the laughing mouth of the funnel,
its cruel gape breathing thunder down my neck
while I pull up my striped stockings,
slot garter buttons into each keyhole,
while I step into bright red boots
and wait for you to touch down.

Now I just have to figure out who's next.

Regards,
Grace O'Malley 
at

8 comments:

  1. Abin ChakrabortyJanuary 10, 2012 at 3:05 PM

    Thanks Grace for accepting the challenge and coming up with such a smashing piece. Of course, I knew this would be the case :)
    Pirates are after all all too comfortable with storms or sirens.
    great piece this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Grace O'MalleyJanuary 10, 2012 at 3:17 PM

    Thanks, Abin! Sorry about the day/time confusion. I had fun with this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Susie ClevengerJanuary 10, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    Wow...a steamy storm. You did a great job on the challenge!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sherry Blue SkyJanuary 10, 2012 at 6:42 PM

    FANTASTIC poem, Grace! Wow. Especially like "the laughing mouth of the funnel" and "You tell me my eyes have informed the green of the sky"........but the entire piece is wonderful. Loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hannah PrattJanuary 10, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    I liked it. I don't want to critique a poet but... I don't understand the bright red boots?

    ReplyDelete
  6. MarianJanuary 10, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    yes, "caution is just the laughing mouth of the funnel," yes. love this, love you! true love, matey.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LolamouseJanuary 11, 2012 at 6:54 AM

    Quite the storm you brewed up there! I love it! Great idea for a challenge and great response!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kerry O'ConnorJanuary 11, 2012 at 8:22 AM

    This is the kind of poetry which blows over me like a fresh sea breeze at the end of a very tiring hot day: just a great woooosh of wind and salt and spray to take the breath away.

    I am so glad that you accepted this challenge, and delivered an extraordinary response:

    For me, caution is just
    the laughing mouth of the funnel...

    What a spirit has been captured in the narrative - red boots and all.

    ReplyDelete

Much time and effort went into this post! Your feedback is appreciated.