literature

for riley

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Daily Deviation

Daily Deviation

September 16, 2013
The vague signs of death in for riley by ~TheOneWhoLovesToEat become clear in the poem's second stanza with a resounding parting sentiment.
Featured by Nichrysalis
TheOneWhoLovesToEat's avatar
Published:
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Literature Text


   i think i have forgotten how to dream

   for the last time it happened

   i smiled and ran my palms through your hair

   sifting out sand and fumbling at the 

   buried shards of sea glass

   that bite at my calloused fingers.

   your frothy eyes threaten to drown me

   but instead i inhale dopamine and

   carefully trace the thin boardwalks

   that wrap around your skull

   where the hair is missing.

   you ask me if i cried

   and i said that i 

   didn’t think i knew 

   how to



   once when i was young

   i saw a baby cardinal

   huddled and bleeding in the grass.

   i watched the ants and the flies skim over the contours

   of its closed eyelids

   until i scooped it up and held it to my chest

   and cradled it back, and forth


   once my mother walked outside and scolded me


   and she told me not to

   touch

   dead things.  

  

   



This is a true story of a good friend of mine that tripped and fell and died yesterday morning. It was a sad day at church, and so I wanted to write something. At first I didn't want to upload this, but I decided on it because I like how it sounds.
(It's not romantic.)
Number 1 is a true story. 
Number 2 is half true. 


EDIT:: Wow, a DD! This is crazy! Thank you so much to ^NicBelroque for the kind words and suggestions, and for featuring me at all. Thanks again.
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Comments54
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MehreenFreed's avatar
This is a resonating piece. Beautiful. Sad. Haunting. Very well written.

Congratulations on the DD!

When I read it the first time, it was like being read to be; there is a flow to the words, there is a story told eloquently.

And importantly, I am sorry for your loss.