Matchsticks (poem) by +Steven Curtis Lance on AuthorsDen

Matchsticks
by +Steven Curtis Lance → (All Poetry by +Steven Curtis Lance)
Rated "PG" by the Author.

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"We keep the secret weep the stain away"

Matchsticks We tend wounds left by those who desert us We work out the hurts of those who hurt us Torture ourselves as they tortured us and Never forget they let go of our hand We will not eat because they forced us to Not out of nurture but out of control We starve ourselves through a hole in our soul Not good enough no matter what we do Beaten and broken we nonetheless rise Through brokenness we triumph after all Look closer and see the pain in our eyes We rise to beat back the scene of our fall We are those matchstick people you might see Brief candles burning through internal night Perfection-bound by internal decree Strike anywhere and we will share our light Some mock at us and call it all in vain "Just eat something!" "Get over it!" they say We keep the secret weep the stain away But we have to show them: never again We tend wounds left by those who desert us We work out the hurts of those who hurt us Torture ourselves as they tortured us and Never forget they let go of our hand We smoke because we are on fire and yet We light the world consuming our regret +Steven Curtis Lance Copyright MMVII

Reviewed by Marcia Miller-Twiford

Reviewed on September 10, 2007

There aren't enough adjectives to describe how wonderful I think this poem is. It contains many messages of life and the ending tied it up beautifully: "We smoke because we are on fire and yet
We light the world consuming our regret" I applaud you poet.
Marcia

Reviewed by Lew Duffey

An incredibly sad write, Steve.
But then, that is life for so many.
God Bless,
Lew

Reviewed by Karla Dorman, The StormSpinner

Powerfully moving write, Steven, condeming the current, ongoing trend to idolize matchstick figures (i.e., "perfection"), even if it means the deaths of thousands trying to live up to near impossible ideals. Well done. (And I loved Karen Carpenter: the world, a much leaner place without her big brassy beautiful voice.)

(((HUGS))) and love, Karla. *tears*