“Gently, she shows them
what she is wearing. Pearls of Pain and the fine-spun
Veils of Patience.”
--Rilke (Duino Elegies No. 10)
A naked woman with skin of thorns and ice crawled,
without tears, through the midnight city of her soul.
On one dark corner she saw the beautiful daughter
whose eyes had shouted, “You whining cow of a bitch!”
On another, the father whose ax butchered her dreams;
the husband whose knife had raped her poems;
the ghost of a son accusing her tongue of treason.
And there, scattered across the lonely blue boulevard:
The wailing fragments of her shattered heart.
The naked woman with skin of thorns and ice stuck
the fragments of her heart onto her thorny breasts.
They began to bleed until she was covered
with a gown like a field of roses and angels.
A small silver cloud breathed on her and she stood up.
To her daughter, father, husband, and son’s ghost, she said:
“Find your hearts so you can forgive and love yourselves.”
As she walked, petals and feathers floated off her gown,
dappling the night with perfumed light and ruby psalms.
by Aberjhani
© February 2009
Review of Inaugural Poet Elizabeth Alexander's Body of Life
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"A Naked Woman with Skin of Thorns and Ice" is page of art and sublimity to enrich The American Fine Letters.
In admiration,
Andre Emmanuel Bendavi ben-YEHU
“Find your hearts so you can forgive and love yourselves.”
Filled with wisdom. - David
I enjoyed every word, your hearts blessed "US" with!
Hope your Valentines Day is happy and special as you are to me...
"Forgiveness" is the Key to the real "inner happiness" we want to retrieve!
YOU said it clearly and strongly! love your vivid imageries!
WRITE ON!
Warmest of Blessings, Love and Inner Peace, Warrior Purple Passion Lady SHEExooo
Regis
Love Tinka
"You whining cow of a bitch!” I haven't heard this phrase since I lived with my parents. And it's true A ... forgiveness is pivotal to freeing the mind and spirit from verve enfeebling bondage. Good thoughts.
Blessings ...
Edwin
You work is always a gift, thank you...
Eileen
Sandie Angel :o)
Images of Bosch painting and Francis Bacon sculpture rush to mind blending with the symbols of suffering, pain and sacrifice, this rips us apart and puts us back together in the final healing "with pefumed light and ruby psalms." Excellent!
John
Your imagery is superb. I love the line:
“Find your hearts so you can forgive and love yourselves.”
It's everything important to happiness.
The author poem is not just that, it is the raw pain, disillusion and at the end the rebellion not less painful, not less real.
Many authors have attempted to give words to that pain, very few has succeeded, *Aberjhani my friend, you are one that succeeded.
Always here
Georg
Miriam
Big Hug,
Marcia
Incredible image and penning . . . fantastic!!
Best Always,
Lance
Such pain in these lines ... a depth of emotion that rolls down my face as tears, reading them ... well done.
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :D