Raw Earth Ink
spit, mixed with dirt – muddy words flow
The Consequences of Being Emotional
the blackening, a holding back
a build-up to future betrayals
lines covering over whispers of a heart
the twisting of realities
the lighting of one lamp
while calling it by another name
the shift of dirt-caked fingers
first here then there
the pulling of an ear and wringing of hands
the smirk while watching a tumble
the seduction of a gilded tongue
fantasies made memories
the filling in of all the empty spaces
with meltaway sugar cubes
the throwing of a wrist across a brow
oh woe! woe! a thousand woes!
the trembling lip but catch the glint
of sharpened steel behind the shoulder blades
the poison of doubt dealt disgustingly easily
the bricks stacking on bricks
stacking on bricks, stacking on bri—
the casual lift of a shoulder
bowling right over moving lips…
but it’s all been said before
I believed every word you spoke until I understood the truth of it all. You said what needed to be said to twist me into your form. Now I’m laying next to a stranger and I’m not quite sure what my next move should be. The scales fell from my eyes yet I’ve a tether around my ankle. I was gifted with sight. Now please, let me lift my wings.
tara caribou | ©2020
26 Comments on “The Consequences of Being Emotional”
Raw Earth Ink 
I love this piece, deeply emotion despondency especially the ending paragraph.
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Thanks so much Cassa. I really appreciate that.
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💚
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“The lighting of one lamp while calling it by another name” and the last paragraph wow…scales falling,still tethered….the consequences indeed.
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Thank you. I sometimes wonder if my words will reach anyone, so it touches me deeply when they do.
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Profound and poignant poem that will surely resonate with many. You have spoken from the heart of the poem’s character in this excellent poem
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Thank you. 😌
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You’re welcome
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Flows like instructions, if only there were an undo to the pain.
Hard to unfold the heart and know you welcome in the light and the dark. Such havoc and consequence…..
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That’s for sure, Mark. Such havoc and consequence indeed.
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Tara You are amazing… ❤ ❤
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Thank you ☺️
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You are most Welcome 🙂
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That’s powerful stuff: “You said what needed to be said to twist me into your form.” And then like how you kind shifted to paragraph form from poetry there as the narrator was transforming as well. This is fantastic art. The repetition of “brick stacking” was a nice touch as well.
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Thanks Benjamin. The emotions suddenly welled up and I had to get it all written. This one… well, it helped.
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You’re welcome. Glad it made you feel better, too.
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I can’t even comprehend how one comes up with such exquisite lines.
The ending was simple yet so profound.
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Thanks Goldie. I honestly appreciate that. Thank you.
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Seared my soul. I enjoyed the extra details in the ending. Nice~
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Thanks so much V
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Beautifully written
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Thank you so much. I truly appreciate that.
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You’re welcome, Tara.
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A heartfelt poem, an expression that needed to explode on paper. It is amazing that first there is sight, first we have to come out of denial. Then the work begins. Let our wings take us far away from the pain or the stain we hadn’t seen. I hope your better, if this was from your personal experience.
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You got it, first there is the clear vision and then we must take those first steps in lessons learned and healing. Thank you for the kind words.
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you are most welcomed… I enjoy my time reading your poetic expression
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