We Know
Your quizzes
try my nerves
The spirit is gone
we can say
What I can’t mention is
how my soul was bolted,
fixed by that narrow moment –
moans bursting my lungs –
and then the absence
turned out to be
chronic.
All you see is me weary
almost collapsing
with the relentless
stab at perfection,
masking and abstracting
my deepest wound
Stranded and moored,
unfettered
we cannot pool
anything together
ever
That is the pittance
we know.
This was written for Shawna’s Monday Melting at rosemarymint.wordpress.org!
Also linked to Open Link night at dversepoets at http://dversepoets.com/!
Bootless Cries 
Anne Katherine–such energy and emotion–and the closing line with the heart-breaking conclusion. Excellent write!! “how my soul was bolted” favorite image and love the combination of “masking and abstracting”
Thanks so much for reading! I was thinking of Plath’s mother saying how Plath never thought her mother took the time to grieve for her father. Ah…death really does reverberate, doesn’t it? In ways we cannot always anticipate or see.
Sounds like a relationship gone sour. “We cannot pool anything together ever.” Great line.
Thanks so much for stopping by. Yes, you can see from my reply to Ginny what I was attempting to get at! Appreciate you reading!
When love has tried and lost , the simplest of movements become foreign. Her ‘relentless stab’ at bringing what is lost to light, leaving her mixed and ‘masking’-great! I love that it ends with a mere smidgen of understanding.
Nice to meet you, Anne!
Nice to meet you, too, Archna – and thanks so much for reading and for your interpretation!
I love your opening and these:
“What I can’t mention is how my soul was bolted”
“and then the absence turned out to be chronic”
“unfettered we cannot pool”
Beautiful, sad, tragic tale—all too common, I suppose. Great idea to make the last two words your title; I like the framing. Wonderful work, Anne Katherine.
Feeling a little meaty, a little processed, Shawna? I can’t believe you’re spam again…CRAZY!
Thanks, as usual, for your read and for the inspiration. As I told Ginny, that part about how Sylvia didn’t like how her mom dealt w/ the dad’s death — and the part about how no matter how much we try as mothers, our actions are not ours to construe…but our children get to do that – and who knows what they will come up with. That’s what I was trying to get at!
All you see is me weary
almost collapsing
with the relentless
stab at perfection,
masking and abstracting
my deepest wound
wow tat bit of your verse really hit home..and the masks it takes to put on that show do make us grow wearing in trying to keep there up…hard emotions by the end of this…nicely done…
Thanks for the visit, Brian. Perfection is impossible to reach and very hard to keep trying to achieve, but still we go on, don’t we? Appreciate you reading!
Trying to hold up to a standard or an image or to a perception becomes a futile task. I think you captured that well.
Yes, it is very futile! Thanks for reading, Vernon!
Really strong write. I love how you used the words here. Exceptional read. Thanks
Thanks for reading – much appreciated!
sounds like too much energy to put into a relationship. seems as if there is better places to put all that energy
I agree. I read it now and see how it could be construed as a couple, but I was going for a mother/daughter thing. But you’re right – the energy could be better channeled!
Oh dear, very sad this and yet with a universal quality. The close especially strong. k.
Thanks, ManicDdaily! I’m going to go over and see what you’re up to now!
oh heck…deep emotions in this..and much sadness…was thinking marriage first but then read mother/daughter in your comment above…difficult..
I do agree that now it reads more like a couple. I was trying to make it sort of vague, but maybe made it too, much so. May give a few more days and come back to it. Thanks for reading 🙂
“we cannot pull anything together, ever” Such a powerful line. Excellent write.
Thanks, Rachel, for reading.
Really enjoyed your site – you are very funny!
Love this, Anne. Some of my favorite parts –> “The relentless stab at perfection” and love that pairing of “masking and abstracting” (is that slant rhyme? It’s been so long since poetry class 🙂
HA! I feel like I need a poetry class now! I’m not sure – I just thought it sounded good! Thanks, as always, for your feedback – much appreciated 🙂
Beautifully sad, Anne Katherine. Especially love:
“we cannot pool
anything together
ever”
And the idea of soul being bolted is just gorgeous.
Love this.
Thanks, De! So appreciate your visit and feedback 🙂
I love your work, Anne Katherine. You come to my email inbox, so I ALWAYS read, but don’t always make the time to come comment, like I should. You are SO sweet and generous with your comments on my poems. I appreciate it so much.
Just lookin’ for your new poem. 🙂
I’m so frustrated – WP is still not letting me publish a new post. I have it all ready, it’s there as a draft, but hitting the publish button is useless.
ugh.. I will keep trying.
All you see is me weary
almost collapsing
with the relentless
stab at perfection,
The new way I will describe my angst!!!
“What I can’t mention is
how my soul was bolted,
fixed by that narrow moment –
moans bursting my lungs”
Exactly.