Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Paper Candy


Spring rolls into summer
On thunderheads that wear your face

You appear,
Wrapped in paper candy,
A ray of opiate dreams in distant lands

I long,
To touch your skin

I cry,
Torrents, as the rain cries,
Washing a promise of you
Into yesterday

24 comments:

Piratedred said...

Cat,

WOW! Enough said...

Tony

Sarah Hina said...

I love how you combined the bold, bright poppy with its dark shadow of opiate dreams.

Those tears feel a loss, but they can bring a renewal, too. (Given a few more tommorrows, of course) The summer is long. There will be more clouds...and something sweeter and more substantial than a paper candy.

It's a beautiful poem, Cat, even if the heart grieves a little.

Anonymous said...

The craving and the withdrawal. Sometimes having the opium is just much easier. I suppose that can't be the answer, however, because the drug always runs out.

gerry boyd said...

The opening line is just outstanding on this. The remainder follows through. Bravo!

Wait. What? said...

The needing and wanting of something more, something just out of reach maybe...

this was so well done.

Geraldine said...

Wow IS the word! Just beautiful Cat, beautiful!!!! Every word counts.

Hugs, G

jaz said...

Beautiful, Cat. I love the line "on thunderheads that wear your face"--I know that seeing one in all the other kind of a state.

I feel somehow as though I am rooting for the storm, blessing the rain as it takes something, yes, but also performs an ablution to prepare for something new.

Aniket Thakkar said...

Thankfully, since Sarah is back, I can just ditto her and get away with a comment. Mwuahaha!

BUT, being a good boy that I am, I wont. :P

It rang the bells that I keep covered in rugs. And was listening to "One" just minutes ago, so this reminded of the lyrics:

"Its just no good anymore since you went away
now I spend my time just making up rhymes of yesterday"

Calli said...

Wow, is the word! Hon, this is so intense. I can and have felt this!

"washing a promise of you into yesterday."
~ billiant!

~Calli

Julie said...

I agree. This poem is WOW! It is so beautiful and touches my heart, like all of your work does. Yes, I love the "thunderheads that wear your face," and the "ray of opiate dreams."

The "addiction," the hurt, and the longing are a vivid portrait. I think we can all relate to the power behind your words. It is beautiful sadness. It makes me want to cry because of what it says, but also because of how beautifully you say it. Wonderful work, Cat.

Opaque said...

I absolutely loved the start of this piece. Just brilliant!

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Gorgeous photo!

On thunderheads that wear your face - love that line.
Beautiful personification - how something so beautiful and alluring can be so dangerous! You say it so well because your heart writes it. Such a longing here - I wonder if you write about the flower pictured or a lover...the ideas of both blend together so precisely. Is it the flower that washes away with the rain or the promises of a lost lover? As always, magnifique!

Catherine Vibert said...

Piratedred, thanks!

Sarah, it is SO good to have you back online, I missed your presence here, and yes, paper candy is not very substantial, but so darned beautiful to the eye! It is raining outside right now, knocking off all those lovely petals as we speak.

Jason, That is certainly true, on a multitude of levels.

Gerry-Thank you!

Cat-Yes, certainly that is true, just out of reach and only in a dream... :-)

Geraldine, Thanks! And hugs back!

Jennifer- I was wondering where you had gone, I imagine end of the year school stuff has got you all sewed up, but it is SO good to see you back. The storm will always win. ;-) Even if it pisses me off when the petals are washed away and I have to curse at the gods. Sigh...

Aniket-How apt those lyrics are! I love that the poem rang those bells for you. Then I know it has done its work. :-)

Calli- I know, huh? Who hasn't felt this? Such longing is universal and for some of us, vital to who and what we are. Thanks sis, I always appreciate your comments.

Julie, thanks so much, those lines just jumped out when I wrote this poem, like they were the crux of the meaning the whole thing grew from. I thank you for noting them. I love your comments, you always make me feel so good!

BrosR-Thanks!

K. Oh thank you K, so much. Mostly about the flowers, and maybe a little about a dream that will likely never be. Like I said to SArah, it is pouring right now, and ripping away the poppies delicate paper petals, so I feel the sadness of their loss. I hate it when the rain does that. Grrrrr. However, I love that you mention the personification, because there is something about doing that that seems to give a poem so much more meaning for me, and perhaps for others, to make it universal. I love that you see that. Your comments always mean so much to me. :-)

steveroni said...

Really nice...hope it's not really real.

Deepa Gopal said...

Just superb,Cat!!!

Its intense...Sarah said it so beautifully..

"Spring rolls into summer"

"A ray of opiate dreams in distant lands"

"Washing a promise of you
Into yesterday"

These are my fav lines..

Shadow said...

so sad, yet so beautiful. i do belive i luv this!

Vesper said...

A fantastic, splendid poem, Cat! I would have to quote everything to show the lines that resonate within my heart. Beautiful!
The photo, too!

Karen said...

Beautiful! "Thunderheads that wear your face" - what a great line! The "paper candy" is so evocative of impermanence...

Margaret said...

Just brilliant Cat!

Lots of pain in your poem but with a ray of hope too. It's so sad but so beautiful.

Catherine Vibert said...

Steveroni-REally about poppies! ;-)

Deepa-Thank you!

Shadow- :-) Thanks!

Vesper- I'm so glad it resonates. :-) Thank you! I'm thinking about that meme...

Karen-Exactly! I'm so glad you saw it that way, that was my intention in writing it. You should see what the storms are doing to my poppies! Grrrrrrr...

Margaret-Thank you! I'm glad my poem carried that emotion, I love the way poetry can do that. :-)

Greener Bangalore said...

WOW! Rain washing the promise!...thats a nice thought!

Silver said...

i like it a lot. It's poignantly sad for me and i think that's because that's what's screaming from inside of me.. "i long to touch your skin..

I cry,
Torrents, as the rain cries,
Washing a promise of you
Into yesterday.."

absolutely beautiful, friend.

~Silver
Reflections

RachelW said...

So pretty, and such depths in it! The mysterious poppy.

Anonymous said...

this is so beautiful...what a precious gift you have...

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