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Open Poetry #15
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Fevered Hitch
| Open Poetry #15 |
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Fevered Hitch |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart 
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Fevered Hitch there are times that we hitch our memories onto, like throwing dad’s lariat up to six pointed stars in midnight skies hitching our dreams along for a life’s ride there is recall in us, if allowed, to bring back those times not so pleasing, but find in them the comfort of our lives a hot summer, not this 118 of today in Kansas, but close, when there was no air, no AC, no shade trees California in the early ‘60’s and what do kids know of heat, anyway… plenty… ghosts of polio past still haunted mother, having spent time in the iron lung, one of the lucky ones, now overly cautious for her brood as heat of summer’s simmer built, an agitated fever took me over, and I didn’t know what haunted mother, but could only thrash about in my own fevered pitch, having hitched nightmares to delirium, taking the ride of my life… the small home was bare-floored, low voices paddy-footing down hallways as I came in and out of distressed naps …high… we have bathed her… ………brain damage… burn it out… Dad’s strong arms picked up the feathered weight of me, carrying me to their sanctum, I recall how the light hurt my eyes, mother’s panicked silence, hands moving, picking up, tucking in sheet after sheet mummifying my frame to a cot, wool-blanketing me in, heat overriding me as I craved cool air quiet, baby, quiet…Dad’s low voice crooning, hot tears burning from fevered green eyes, scalding down my cheeks, pooling in my ears quiet, baby, quiet…as he sat a father’s dreaded vigil, his large cool palm on my forehead throughout the night, calmly, continually putting my loosened arms back under weighty covers… he was not alone in their room… an owl hooted, hovering, waiting for me to blink back… soft voices drifted, chanting, whispering, soothing sounds speaking a tongue and leaving dark all around me, never this black, except owl, whose gray feathers glowed white, and then cool… all blankets still bound me tightly, but I was cool…my lips were cracked and pained, but the cool palpable from my forehead to my toes the fevered hitch over, not even the owl remained and the folks were breathing again… |
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| © Copyright 2001 Karilea Rilling Jungel - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
sunshine, your pen in the paintbrush of an artist....a wonderful portrait this is..  |
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shadow974 Senior Member
since 2001-06-21
Posts 636Michigan |
Beautifully written memories. Oh, the pain a parent goes through, and it's not much fun being sick eather. Do not fear going forward slowly, |
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Mysteria 
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Do I have to even say? No! ~And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance ~ |
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Logan Senior Member
since 2001-05-28
Posts 1641Arkansas |
All the emotions of everyone, so vividly portrayed..ahh, Sis, lovely job there..very gentle smile |
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Mishtheelf Member
since 2001-07-10
Posts 68 |
I want to be you someday hehe Great work |
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Elizabeth Santos Member Rara Avis
since 1999-11-08
Posts 9269Pennsylvania |
I bow to your talents, dear freind Exquisite writing A very vivid picture you portray with your magical phrases Loved this Liz |
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Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774Ontario, Canada |
Wonderful Karilea! You've captured so many points of view within these words ... from child, to father, to mother ... vivid imagery, I feel as though I lived this as I read, well done! Best wishes, /Kit |
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vlraynes Member Rara Avis
since 2000-07-25
Posts 8229Somewhere... out there... |
Sunshine- WOW! This is incredible!! You drew me in and had me hanging on every word...stressing right along with the 'folks'.. Awesome job of conveying the feelings of all involved. Excellent!!  hugs, ~vicky "...until you have read the verse on his |
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Marilyn Member Elite
since 1999-09-26
Posts 2621Ontario, Canada |
Sunshine.....WOW! Now this is definately a reason to come back home more often. Excellent! Marilyn |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
This piece is astoundingly visual... Written/painted by a true artist... lovely indeed |
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Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
*shaking my head* My oh my....its time to kiss that muse of yours again...  |
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Charisma
since 2000-09-30
Posts 5906lost in blue pages |
Can only echo the others *WOW* as your words still echoes through my mind......excellent piece. Charisma |
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VAS Member Rara Avis
since 2000-11-16
Posts 7450Oregon |
this is so superb...even the knowing you came through it, because you were writing it, after all, I was 'rapt' totally all the way through, excellent telling, portraits for certain of all involved...the cool that came was such a gigantic relief Well done!!! Surely you'll be submitting this somewhere, right? Or is it to part of a longer work...your memoirs in poetry and prose? |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Thank you all... Balladeer - a wonderful compliment...I blush...thank you... Shadow, you are so right on both counts... Mysteria, say what? {smiles} Logan, sometimes we don't know to the extent our emotions roam until we can look back on them in fond recall...thank you... Mishtheelf, that is a lovely thought, but I think we would all be better knowing you for you...thank you!... Elizabeth, just knowing you took some time to read this makes my day...thank you... Kit, if you felt this as you read it, then my muse took hold...thank you... Vicky - my intent, and you saw...thank you!... Marilyn, welcome home...and thank you!... Nan, the highest compliment, thank you my friend... JanetMarie, my muse is out visiting others...as you can so well see!... Charisma, it's been awhile! We need to see some of your pennings soon, please!... Virginia, two lovely compliments! I am glad you finally felt the cool after the heat...my intent...as for memoirs? Who knows. I'm not done living yet...thank you! |
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