The hurt extends
to an immeasurable
depth of sorrow.
Forced to leave
connected, lingo, laughing,
nick-name closeness
that only lasts
in a narrow window
of time.
And the window
is closing on Jamie.
No desire to form
another body of
camaraderie.
So she talks on the
phone nightly
to old ties.
A military kid.
A fifteen-year-old girl.
Beautiful and in love.
As in love as any
age experiences.
He cries on the phone
and says that he loves her.
Her tears water
the depths of her heart.
They are not allowed
to flow on the outside
because she is learning
the hollow technique
of building walls
to protect herself
from painful attachments.
Want to review or comment on this poem?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviews of "Jamie"
Reviewed by Kate Clifford (Reader)
Reviewed on June 1, 2005
This touches deeply! Fantastic capture of this experience.
Oh, how painful is this?! And delicate and subtle truths beautifully and poignantly expressed, Janet?! What a false security and tragic fallacy all this wall-building is that we have been conditioned to accept as part of "growing up"! Growing down more like ... like a time-bomb ticking, these wrongly-erected edifices are set to crumble and fall at some point of stress later. But how necessary it seems at the time to brick-up and baton down in order to pursue some sort of coping strategy. Don't we all just know it? My heart bleeds... sadly young people know far too much about the "having to" of this these days. A treasure of a write, thank you. Kate xx
This write whether true or not is very heartfelt write from deep within the writers heart and soul. Janet as usual you give a valuable lesson in your work that can only eduacate the emotionally deprived. well done
One has to experience life and not live it by a set of rules that a drill sergeant instills in the minds of his soldiers to save them from peril.This is great in the time of war because so many friends die beside you, that you do not want to form attachments, because if you do the pain is unbearable when that person is killed. Who can tell what attachment will be painful? I can assure you that not being attached to someone is living half a life. Great poem, full of emotion and loss of expectations.
I like this - it's beautiful, sad, and achingly accurate in it's expression of emotion. I can remember feeling this way....I never did learn to make a SOLID wall though - there was always a weak spot and I learned about those painful attachments the hard way. Well written Janet.
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
Share
Print
Save
Follow
Felix
Ron
Beautifully written,and felt!
Love,
Eileen