Friday, April 12, 2013

30 poems in 30 days: 12

Wow. I'm almost halfway through this challenge.  I can't believe that -- and at the same time, I practically expect these kinds of miracles from my Poetry Workshoppers every year, so welcome, Laurie, to HypocriteLand.

Another snowy day in the middle of April has not only sapped me of imagination and good feeling, but it has drained my imagination.  So I'm going to cadge from an assignment book -- open Kim Addonizio's Ordinary Genius at random and make myself do whatever assignment comes up.

Okay. The assignment is to wake up a cliche.  So, the first one that comes to mind is: My heart is broken.

*

 Damage

The muscle nestled in the middle
of my chest

the thump-thump lump
of airy gristle

a minute ago fluttered at my ribs
feathery feet and hollow shell

but when you stopped smiling
when you refused to talk

when you curled your fingers
into fists

it slowed and swelled and
filled with bitter blood

then popped like
a pinched tick








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