Friday, August 23, 2024

learning to haunt


I walk so far, all I can remember 
of life is living itself 
the sunset stippling my face as 
the arch in my foot aches   
I dream about shadows in the woods
and hug my hunger close 
like a tiny puddle that will be sucked 
back into the earth overnight 
______________

Pic: resplendent evening skies, puddles

7 comments:

StephLove said...

Nice image in the last two lines.

Gillian said...

Nice.

Nicole said...

I love the poem and the photo!

Jenny said...

<3

maya said...

Thank you, friends!!

Nance said...

This is a beautiful and haunting poem. Even though I'm an atheist now, I was raised RC, and this reminds me of St John the Baptist's story.

The imagery is so vivid, yet understated. The first two lines are simple, yet enormous. They almost echo and sound to me like footsteps dragging heavily, tiredly, and I can see the figure itself.

And then the very concrete image of the foot aching makes it much more accessible and real: it brings it down to something the reader can feel, can relate to immediately.

I'm just taken with this poem, Maya. It's deceptively simple, presenting a single overarching image, but doing so much more, especially with mood and tone. Tell me you're submitting this.

maya said...

Thanks so much, Nance. I'm so happy you enjoyed it. It's so short, I didn't think anyone would want it, but I will send it out and let you know if it's accepted.

I went to catholic school K-12 and college too!

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