A Beautiful Ghost

by Kara Oneil   Feb 16, 2016


The world becomes silent
as they watch her stroll by.
With that single glance
it's as if she fell from the sky.

But there's something about
that dim glow in her eye.
Her collected exterior
is clearly a lie.

Why does this woman
hide so far inside?
Why instead of reach out
does she silently cry?

For you've shown your promises
to help her are also a lie.
And that instead of taking a stand,
you'd rather let her die.

And at the hands of the one
she loves the most,
she'll soon become
a beautiful ghost

Because of judgment,
because of blame,
because of you,
she'll soon be slain.

-Kara O'Neil

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Latest Comments

  • 8 years ago

    by Em

    Kara, this is an emotional write and as I have seen in your comments is loosely based but happens. People out there do this, leave their loved (and I use the teem loosely) one just in general but for dead also and it's a sad reality.
    You wrote it beautifully.

    Take care, Em

  • 8 years ago

    by Kara Oneil

    Thank you very much for your kind comments.

    As I wrote it, I pictured a woman of unspeakable beauty walking down the street of, say, San Francisco or Manhattan. An urban city. She was so beautiful that people literally stopped dead in their tracks to look at her. Her long brown hair flowing in the wind as she walked. But her eyes remained focused ahead of her in a quite empty daze as she walked home. Everyone was so awe-struck by her beauty that they would have never in a billion years thought anything was wrong. They were too focused on their selfish admiration of her beauty that they didn't notice the tears welling up in her eyes as she walked. But as she walked the woman was only hours from the end of her life, as she was later that night murdered by her boyfriend in a brutal domestic violence attack.

    The poem is based loosely off of a day in my life I'll never forget, August 4, 2013.. when I was beaten, suffocated, and nearly murdered then dumped alone in the night by my ex and two of his friends who tried to kill me.

    The poem being of course loosely based, as I am still here and able to speak whereas the woman in the poem was walking home for the last time.

    So yes, in the poem, the lover did turn their back on her in the ultimate act of betrayl.. he murders her.

  • 8 years ago

    by Poet on the Piano

    Wow, you penned so much emotion in this. The depth is incredible. I think, sometimes, we all may wear that mask and keep everything bottled up inside... even if we have the right resources/support/friends. Reaching out takes courage and sometimes we feel too weak from life. We can't do this life alone though.

    Your other stanzas made me imagine a love who then turned his/her back on her? I can't imagine.... but you have penned such pain and such a voice that reaches out to the reader.

    Take care.

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