Saturday, March 8, 2014

Completeness

Since a very early age,
they told me that I was meant to serve,
that I would grow among people to heights
much beyond theirs but I should never forget 

where I came from - 
Use your strength in favor of the weak.
Learn to heal scratches.
Never get too attached.

I have taken names for the sake of true love,
I have cried reading over people's shoulders,
I have witnessed deaths and births,
I have been embraced.

I once fell in love with a man
who sat on the bench nearby and 
observed me for hours in silence.
His breathing around me felt like completeness.


(Written for a writing game with Matthew Temple)
(Note: the persona in this poem is a tree)

10 comments:

  1. I get a first sense that he should have been more alive, but despite some echoes of that I know that to feel a love's breath that doesn't box you in is rather refreshing. To serve requires love.. Haunting poem.

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  2. Anonymous3/08/2014

    Thought provoking poem, Kenia.

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  3. Those last two stanzas... Just magnificent. I want to cut them out and stick them on my heart.

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    Replies
    1. Kenia, I did not know in advance that you were writing from the tree's viewpoint - now I read it again, I can see it. I'm amazed at how well the perspective works on a metaphoric level.

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  4. Okay, totally not fair that I'm supposed to come up with something after Kerry's perfect comment!

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  5. Thank you beautiful women, for your lovely comments. Should I have told you in advance that the persona in the poem is a tree or were you able to tell it immediately? I've added a footnote. <3

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  6. I didn't catch that right away, but it's so clear now, making the poem even better.

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  7. Anonymous3/15/2014

    wow. this reads like an adult version of Shel Silverstein's book ~

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