Prisoners

by D.   Mar 3, 2022


an invasion of
loaded questions

and a retaliation
of empty answers

it’s easy when you
don’t carry the blame
in duffel bags

or can empty the guilt
out of your
cantines

when we can promise
next time

for some theres no next
time;
dead in the rubble

my eyes are stranded
here
bloodshot and hopeful

how many
knees do you think
will bruise and
crack?

none.

4


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Latest Comments

  • 2 years ago

    by Everlasting

    I also didn’t understand the last part. Until I read your comment.

    When I think about not surrendering… I guess I think of it more as weak knees not giving up.

    So I was trying to word your stanza in different ways so that I could perhaps picture it. This is what I came up with

    How many knees do you think will surrender to the ground?

    Or how many knees would weaken to the cause?

    But ahh, I can feel it but I can’t come up with the right words lol.

    No knees will surrender to the ground despite bruises and cracks? ( this is too wordy)

    But I mean, the reason I couldn’t see what you meant is because I’m expecting bruises and cracks. Unless the prisoners are super humans? In a way, I feel like it’s more believable to have bruises and cracks and the knees not giving up yet , due to the persons spirit’s not wanting to give up on the cause.? May be i don’t make sense.

    Anyways, I like your poem.

    The above are not suggestions. I’m just trying to leave a comment explaining why I feel it didn’t work for me as a reader. May be, i misunderstood.

    But I love the imagery and the way the poem is written overall. Thanks for sharing.

    • 2 years ago

      by D.

      No yeah you’re both right about that at the end! It’s pretty unclear but I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase it un-awkwardly - I’ll see if I can edit :) it was I guess too strong of an image of surrender!

  • 2 years ago

    by BOB GALLO

    I did not get the last part, The knee??
    But the rest of the poem was awesome. Very pro with description and imageries. Refreshing poetical perspective.

    • 2 years ago

      by D.

      It was about surrendering :) thanks for your comment! Always appreciated

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