Suspended

by sibyllene   Sep 2, 2011


There are some things I know,
and the rest are steeped with me.

It's the first day of September and the
sky has melted into a haze of lavender,
a horizon of butter yellow.
It's the last day of summer and I'm
floating belly-up in a pool, ringed
by grandma's wilting garden and without
a wager for the future.

The water is chlorinated-clear,
chemical, baptismal,
and I submerge for as long as I can.
I let the currents harry my eyelids, seek
entry, flush and flood me from
my toes to the tips of my hair:
dark and floating.
I let it possess me
from my fingernails to my lips. I emerge,

but only for the shortest moment.
I gulp and dive again, bobbing
between the cool bottom and
the cloudy light above, not even pausing
long enough
to let the water
drain from my ears.

I find myself cursing
those hollow places
that keep me floating
back up.

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Latest Comments

  • 13 years ago

    by Britt

    Well I was loving the poem until the ending where it sounds like you're trying to drown yourself. ;)

    I really appreciate your thoughtful words. The way you lay out the surroundings (butter yellow horizons, chlorinated-clear, baptismal pools).

    This poem is an iceberg poem to me. So much on the surface, but much more if you look into the depth of the words. I've taken away a few different meanings here and there, and with that I'll just sit silently and ponder ;)

  • 13 years ago

    by Jenni

    The title is really creative, it has a simplicity to it but yet it pulled me in. I really enjoyed this read because of your choice of words and I think that it flows quite well. You definately portrayed a vivid image and managed to keep me captivated till the end. This is a well penned and meaningful poem.

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