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Open Poetry #47
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JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana

0 posted 2011-02-08 02:38 PM


Raucous laughter issued from Wickedness,
which was hidden wherever Wickedness secretes itself.
The traveler cringed.
He'd heard the insidious laughter before,
but Wickedness never showed its face.
Coward.
Instead it played evil games inside your mind.
The traveler vaguely realized why
Wickedness could never be seen;
because a part of it
resided inside of each of us.
The rather strange road he walked was familiar
in an obscure, unfamiliar way.
Since early this morning,
or was it yesterday morning,
oh, no matter.
Since he'd found himself on this dusty road he recognized certain . . . things.
Nothing he could put his finger on and say,

Look, I remember this from . . .

No.
Nothing like that.
Still, there were surreal qualities,
certain things which defied definition.
Things observed he'd never seen before.
Why then, did he know what they were?
Like the Broken Heart baking in the August heat.
Was it his?
Or some other unfortunate traveler
who had passed this way before?
The Broken Heart
was not like the Valentine Day pretty heart,
drawn so nice and neat.
No.
This heart was real
lying alongside the road,
dirty, dried blood all around it.
This heart was alive and making strong,
thump, thump-thumping sounds
reverberating inside his head
nearly causing him to lose what little sanity
he was holding onto.
Once he attempted to cover up the Broken Heart,
if only to mute its sound.
He had nothing to place over it.
If he had been wearing a shirt
he'd have used that.
but he wasn't wearing one.
He wasn't wearing anything.
He shivered.
It was approaching nighttime;
he recalled it had gotten quite cold last night.
The traveler began to trudge slowly down the road,
shelter on his mind.
Soon he came upon a wooden bridge
over raging, foaming rapids.
He stopped,
fearful of crossing the bridge.
He took a tentative step.
The bridge creaked,
gave somewhat with his weight.
Another step.
Groans from the timber.
He froze.
After a deep breath he took five very quick steps,
was almost in the middle of the bridge
when he heard the most bizarre sounds.



~ Some people are like a Slinky -- not really good for anything -- but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. ~

© Copyright 2011 Jerry Pat Bolton - All Rights Reserved
Lori Grosser Rhoden
Member Patricius
since 2009-10-10
Posts 10202
Fair to middlin' of nowhere
1 posted 2011-02-08 02:56 PM


Dang nabit Jerry! You and your cliff hangers!  I love the surreal quality to this. Had me hanging on every word.
Lori

JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
2 posted 2011-02-08 02:59 PM


Haha! There will be more, Lori, and I am happy you are liking this little tale. Thank you.

~ Some people are like a Slinky -- not really good for anything -- but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. ~

faithmairee
Senior Member
since 2011-01-05
Posts 1441
Poe Haven, USA
3 posted 2011-02-08 04:55 PM


JerryPat-That's some story!  I was really getting into it and then it was over...please don't keep us in suspense for too long...very well done!

There must be a poem in here somewhere.

JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
4 posted 2011-02-08 05:19 PM


Thank you, Faith. This is the second one, and I will have more. Appreciate your comment.

~ Some people are like a Slinky -- not really good for anything -- but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. ~

faithmairee
Senior Member
since 2011-01-05
Posts 1441
Poe Haven, USA
5 posted 2011-02-08 05:24 PM


my pleasure....i'm looking forward to the next part

There must be a poem in here somewhere.

Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354
Listening to every heart
6 posted 2011-02-08 07:17 PM


Aha....very Poe-esque!

Someday when you have time?

Visit the archives for the Quinella series.

More, please.


JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
7 posted 2011-02-08 07:35 PM


High compliment, Sunshine, thank you. I will venture to the archives soon.

~ Some people are like a Slinky -- not really good for anything -- but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. ~

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