Kerry over in the Garden prompted us to write a poem "breaking the fourth wall". In the theater, movie or book, this is when the main character starts talking to the audience. An interaction begins...at first it is a bit dis-concerning. We are to attempt this with a poem!
Over at Poets United the prompt is Shades of Grey. We are to write about
the lines between black n' white, the grey areas. We can chose a subject like love/hate...etc. I'm going with life and death.
I am going to share with you what happened these past two weeks. I wasn't going to put this on my blog. I try to share good things, positive views. This is not positive.
Two Saturdays ago my daughter was returning from a marching band competition. She returned in the early hours of the morning. When I picked her up, she said there had been a serious accident. It was rumored, two boys from her school had died. She was distraught and everyone was txting and tweeting, trying to find out what had happened. It was true, two boys had died in a car accident earlier in that evening. Bottom line was they were not wearing seat belts, the two that died. Two other lived. One was a Senior this year and the other student in my daughter's class. Both funerals were held at the school open casket. My daughter had the flu on Thursday and did not attend, the older boy's funeral. Thursday early evening, we heard sirens and then I hear a helicopter. Daughter says there is a bad accident. Rumors again teenagers involved. I know this is close to the house, I can hear more sirens and everything stops near the top of our road. I live a mile from the top...I found out later a helicopter had to land in the field, one girl had to be flown, to a trauma center. These girls were returning from the funeral. The vehicle went into the other lane and was hit. Then another vehicle rounding the corner hit the girl's car again. Both accidents the teenagers were driving Mustangs....at this scene two teenage girls died.
The goal of this type of poem is to make you uncomfortable, uneasy as if I really was talking to you? Did it feel that way? I know I have a terrible headache now...
Over at Poets United the prompt is Shades of Grey. We are to write about
the lines between black n' white, the grey areas. We can chose a subject like love/hate...etc. I'm going with life and death.
*Photo via here
I am going to share with you what happened these past two weeks. I wasn't going to put this on my blog. I try to share good things, positive views. This is not positive.
Two Saturdays ago my daughter was returning from a marching band competition. She returned in the early hours of the morning. When I picked her up, she said there had been a serious accident. It was rumored, two boys from her school had died. She was distraught and everyone was txting and tweeting, trying to find out what had happened. It was true, two boys had died in a car accident earlier in that evening. Bottom line was they were not wearing seat belts, the two that died. Two other lived. One was a Senior this year and the other student in my daughter's class. Both funerals were held at the school open casket. My daughter had the flu on Thursday and did not attend, the older boy's funeral. Thursday early evening, we heard sirens and then I hear a helicopter. Daughter says there is a bad accident. Rumors again teenagers involved. I know this is close to the house, I can hear more sirens and everything stops near the top of our road. I live a mile from the top...I found out later a helicopter had to land in the field, one girl had to be flown, to a trauma center. These girls were returning from the funeral. The vehicle went into the other lane and was hit. Then another vehicle rounding the corner hit the girl's car again. Both accidents the teenagers were driving Mustangs....at this scene two teenage girls died.
Death finds you
it knocks on your door
one hopes it doesn't involve the
young
whose lives are just beginning
They wear rose colored glasses
They are invincible!
Can't happen to me...happens to them, you know
those people over on Maple Street
those people on the edge of town
WTH
Is the excuse for not wearing a seatbelt
Get that smirk off your face
I see you
I'd like to smack you
No one should be
smiling, right now...
I see the Zombies
in town
I have been one
the grey dove
lands in your yard
lost souls
cry n' scream
but nothing will help
the dove keeps crying
the vagrant mourns
When it happened to me
I appeared
sleepwalking
in a pod surrounded by
silver tears
My thoughts like driftwood
I moved through the day
in a sea of fog
a vapor of what
IF
Why him
Why her
Why me
Why
Gray mattered memories
are the only
comfort
but for now
they
just hurt
like fractured glass fragments
that tore into their, his, her
skin
they now tear
mine....
YOU know this pain
maybe not in this way
but you have walked this
this cold
stone granite path
and if you haven't
You will
You will enter the zone
the fog state of pea soup
and you will
barf and the bile
of your pain
will
linger
and rise again
like a bulimic's
ritual
the future is purged
Your memories
will protect your soul
but you must
listen to them
Do you hear me....
Yeah, YOU
your memories
are all you have
the love n' your memories
the silver pearls of
their soul
Now, go
live and dance for those
who can't
Do it
for those who are lost...
their love, their young, their
sons, their daughters
their hope
Dance damn it!
© Ellen Wilson
The goal of this type of poem is to make you uncomfortable, uneasy as if I really was talking to you? Did it feel that way? I know I have a terrible headache now...
Comments
So sad to see them die, especially the young. I hope it wasn't through texting. There are so many dreadful accidents caused through young people texting while driving now, it's even overtaken drunk driving as the main cause of traffic accidents. How sad for all the family and friends of each of these kids.
Makes me want to take Chloe's cell phone away because I've already seen her tell her friend's she's nearly been hit by something or other, texting while crossing the roads.
Powerful writing Ella, your point hits home, vividly.
I love the line "sleepwalking in a pod surrounded by silver tears". Also "the dove keeps crying"...and the sad-eyed vagrant.
Fantastic write. You nailed it.
These words hit hard, Ella:
Do you hear me....
Yeah, YOU
your memories
are all you have...
We are all guilty of complacency, of the surety that tragedy happens to other people you read about in the newspaper.
This one really hit home. We've lost so many teens in our county to driving accidents. And now my daughter has her learner's permit and will be driving herself soon. My stomach just knots up. Yes, your poem made me VERY uncomfortable. The line "the future is purged" was terrifically morbid.
also, with these lines you have captured the experience through the eyes of a teenager:
like a bulimic's
ritual
the future is purged
that is amazing, right there. sending only love and hugs to you and your kids and your community.
I don't know why people don't wear seatbelts. It makes all the difference in the world.
Very sad that four teens lost their lives.
A most powerful post and poem - and it certainly achieved its objective.
Why him
Why her
Why me
Why
Now, go
live and dance for those
who can't
Do it
for those who are lost...
So good.
So, I read the post and it was very tragic and sad and awful and I didn't let myself FEEL it.
And then I got to the poem and read that. And there was no way to block that out or NOT feel those words. I was in tears by the end.
That was one of the most powerful, moving pieces of poetry I've ever read in my life. Just...wow...
A very worst mightmare story, which is found right across the world. Youth who steal cars and 'joy-ride.' That was a frequently used term in Belfast, which resulted in multiple deaths, nightly, in stolen cars.
Now, it continues everywhere, apparently because young people are bored...I cannot respond to that non-excuse, when death is the only sure answer.
Eileen
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
" They wear rose colored glasses
They are invincible!
Can't happen to me...happens to them, you know"
It wiped those rose-colored glasses right of my nose. Did you read it to your daughter? Didn't she love it? And hug you? And put it in the school newspaper? And ask you to read it at the Parent/Teacher meetings, obscenities and all?
Lay it on, Ella--you are the master--and best of all the end DANCE! For them, DANCE! How dare you not think? not Dance!
You have a lucky daughter.
Mary Ann-I do, too! I was behind the grandmother of one of the students at the mail today...gosh, so sad! I too pray for them-Thank you!
Manicdaily-I know, I thought the same thing. The other accident was txt related, but not the first one. Hard hitting for the survivors....so tragic~
Shivani-Thank you! I guess I broke the fourth wall...that is what one poet told me~
Brian-I am so sorry to hear this! Prayers for those families in your neck of the woods! Why, why, why...I do not get the sporty car, for this age group. Gosh, I was happy, with a junker-wheels meant freedom. So horrible...my heart goes out to you and those suffering! Shocking...
Renee-Thank you! Yes, really that is all we can do-hope n' pray and try to teach them well. I get nervous when my daughter drives-it is for me the worst part of them growing up!
Green Speck-well said, yes it is...always dark!
Margaret-I am sorry I made you numb! No guilt..it is the human condition~ We do think of our own, when these tragedies happen~ How can we not...(((hugs)))
Naturally Carol-Thank you!
Shelly-Thank you...yes, lots of hugs~
Eileen-Thank you for sharing...I didn't know this. Maybe I saw it in a movie- A crazy world we live in...
Helen-I know hearing sirens makes my blood run cold! Yes, an unnecessary tragedy~
Kim-Yes, I think it did help me. I wasn't close to the families affected, but it took me back to seeing a fatal accident, when I was that age. My daughter and her friends wondering how to act, how to feel... I told her to let her emotions surface and let them out. Holding back does not help...Thank you~
Ollie-Thank you! A wise monk would know this ;D
Tamara-I am sorry you cried! I too know exactly what you mean...how we don't and can't engage when we hear all the trauma in the world. You are so right...
It is true, we need to live and be reminded what a gift life is. Some people really have to fight for it and some take it for granted~
Thank you~ @>-------
John-Thank you! I know you will dance :D
Alex-Thank you! Yes, it truly is one of those moments in life that just makes you wonder what where they thinking?! so very sad...
Wanda-Yes, so true! We never know...
Laurie-Thank you! I think the open coffin was a huge message the day of the funeral. All of the students were shocked... We need to be reminded to treasure and respect our lives~
Marian-Thank you! Yes, I did think those words, would define the feelings, of not being able to cope~
Lolamouse-I am in the same boat as you! My daughter is driving and keeps pushing us to get her license. I know she isn't ready and I won't take her, till she is.
I have the same knots, you do!
Kerry-Thank you for sharing! I think we become blindsided by it. I even had a friend say to me once, "Only bad things happen to you"-my Dad had died and later on my first child. I'll never forget her saying that, as she put her brand new born baby in the car, in her arms not the car seat! I was shocked!
Mary-Yes, we all do~ Just I would rather it when a person has lived a full life~ Thank you~
Johanna-I think we all know a few of those~ It redefines us, at least it should~
Bren-The second accident was texting! The driver crossed the line, it was dark and hit the other car. I see it all the time driving towards my daughter's school...it is tragic!
So sad for so many.
'Belt up' isn't fashionable these days amongst the young. Oh will they ever learn...
Hope your tragedy inspired poem will reach some of them.
Thank you :D
We've had two accidents in our area recently as well involving girls in their teens/early twenties not wearing seatbelts. Fortunately they all lived, but are still dealing with the injuries. At least one is still in the hospital. I don't understand why they wouldn't have their seatbelts on. It's such an easy way to save your life.
I am sorry to hear this and worry it is becoming a new trend?! Why?!
I am happy you didn't lose anyone, in your area~ It is so tragic n' sad!
Thank you!
At any time we could be grieving, we have to embrace the moment :D
Yes, slap the living...shake'em n' wake'em! (((hugs))) @>-----------
Words of comfort fil the air
Not filling the holes of the heart
Or the spaces where life was
Tracks of tears shine bright
The taste of grief is the salt of us
We are together in sorrow miles apart
Hugs
a VERY powerful write, Ella! *hugs*
♥
i hope you and your family are able to have a Happy Thanksgiving!