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Open Poetry #26
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Peaches
| Open Poetry #26 |
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Peaches |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass 
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Peaches Peaches, the boys called her: made her mad enough to hit, so Peaches she would be, and hit she would. Ronnie Painter found that out the hard way, paid for his casual skirt glide with broken glasses, two black eyes, and a mighty pain below. You didn’t touch that peach unless she let you. She was my first. First kiss, that is, the real kind that your parents didn’t see, the first of other little things, and would have been my first trip to the wheat field after dark, but squeamish, twelve, I didn’t go. I can still see her, brown hair to the waist, the green eyes, hedging blue with flecks of amber, pale skin so quick to color, and in her voice a lilt of Arkansas for spice. And curves, yes, promising a woman’s curves at twelve. Ten minutes too late I wished I’d gone, and later still she was so careful, neutral, carefully my friend, the fire out. I’ve always wondered if I could have helped, If I had been a man at twelve, and sometimes I’ve just wondered. But something broke in Peaches in that summer, something that could never heal. Her father bottomed out, went drunk for weeks, drove his Buick through the picket fence into the yard, her mother, too young, hiding in the house. Church ladies told the rest because we’d moved by then, the fear of Peaches stark behind their church lady eyes; of seeing her come from the woods with older men. Much older men. With older men her father’s age, with older men their husbands’ age. They say now that she straightened, tried to live a life, got married even, but it had been done, and always came the older news, about the bars and then the sickness, simple even then but treated far too late, so that she wasted, died at twenty-six, her mother’s age when she was twelve, and left a pretty daughter, aged the same. [This message has been edited by Ratleader (04-22-2003 12:45 AM).] |
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| © Copyright 2003 Ed Ratledge - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Kahlil Senior Member
since 2003-04-12
Posts 1881 |
This is so very moving. I appreciate how you've told the story; THAT you told the story... |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass |
....she was a wildcat -- broke a fishing pole over my head once. Too smart, too pretty, too much fire, and in the wrong family. I think that having had her as my first girlfriend changed me when the rest happened to her. Made me a better man in ways it's important to be better, as a man. I know I react quite strongly to certain traits in other men, and I think this may have been the start of it. ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸ ¸¸ºº> ~~~(¸¸ER¸¸ºº> |
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Justbleu Member Elite
since 1999-08-31
Posts 3329Oregon, Originally From Alaska :) |
Wow......Ratleader I'm not sure what to say!!!! Bridgette  "Somewhere, somehow, it should be possible to touch someone and never let go again. To hold someone, not for a moment but forever." Unknown |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
You penned a lost soul, and you captured her, briefly, and I'm glad the man in you stayed the field... |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
Wow!! Amazing recounting of what must seem like another time. You tell the tale very well here...much enjoyed. ~Smiles & Hugs, Nancy~ ~Somewhere in my heart I'm always |
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littlewing Member Rara Avis
since 2003-03-02
Posts 9655New York |
Ed: this is a lovely tibute to a sweet soul that deserved a better life Nice write my friend xxoo |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Very tenderly told, my friend....some people stay a lifetime in heart. I'm glad you told her story.  |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
I’ve always wondered if I could have helped, If I had been a man at twelve, and sometimes I’ve just wondered. This is written with so much compassion... many of your phrases speak volumes... and the stories not quite told (with older men their husbands’ age) are compelling. The wondering may have helped form the man who lets her live on, seen through the kindness in his words. *S* Excellent write! |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
I feel as though I have gotten to know the kind and compassionate man who penned this sorrowful story of a woebegone soul who deserved more out of life. Warm hugs, EA P.S. I just noticed your photo! You don't look like a rat at all! You looked rather distinguished!  [This message has been edited by Earth Angel (04-22-2003 11:46 AM).] |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Ed, I saw what you put on Marge's poem... this deserves to be back at the top, considering your thoughts. |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass |
The other story was sadder than this one, so much so that I may never be able to write it, though I may try when I've gotten over this one. Dredged up a lot of emotion that I thought was safely in the past, and not sure I can go through it again right now. ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸ ¸¸ºº> ~~~(¸¸ER¸¸ºº> |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Ed~ Is it okay to tell you that I think you are just beginning to reach 'the edge of the meadow' of your poetry ? This is beautifully done~ Let it flow~ Thank you for letting me know that mine touched you .... it won't be the first or last time we touch~ *Huglets* ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ |
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