The day they pricked paint into her back
permanent and violet
she grew a lotus mandala
lending a little stigmata wisdom
to the thin bones of her grow
for she didn’t know that year
whether to follow sharp train tracks and disappear
into the woods not to be discovered
or walk into winter blizzard
feeling her way through to
imposing red bricked hospital
sagging against its frame like
an auburn flame caught in globe
shaken from foothold
placing her wet gloves on chaffing radiator
tell the patient man behind his mahogany desk
littered with prescriptives for disease of the mind
I am not well I am not well I am not well
you must take me from my freedom and tie me up
in a satin bow atop a new gift of hope
somewhere I cannot think or pass
in my mouth the marble and coinage
of my jailer
if she had let herself fall then
with his regard whiskering her lament
and plummet like a fire consumed comet
for the first time without control just
the ember of her flaming skirt searing
a series of interrupted tap dances
spanning shortened life
in the direction of diminishing
sticky mouthfuls of sweet jam taken in dark
tap tap tap tap
braille, wittled cane, white and wooden
hers was the fear of generations
her grandmother, her grandfather
laid to rest in sweet meadow of
Mont-Ventoux, beyond lavender fields
where their metallurgic table of elements
could rest from unquenched desire to end
take your medicine
euthanize the unrest
let the sleep of the dead
usher silence in prayer robe
when he died
holding his dry paintbrush
when she died
clutching her wet scripture
when their loss mixed in formula
writing her DNA prophecy
she learned to lace up her unease
absenting breath needing not to breathe
not today doctor
not ever
these houses for the poor of heart
medicated, inviscerated, shuffle in
do not come out
she left her gloves on the radiator
followed her tracks back through virgin snow
easier when you cannot really see where you go
somehow standing amidst the roar
sea on dry land, oceans in desert flowers
it might take defying your legacy to survive
it might take not wishing to be the next pin to escape
bowled over by shared cross-stitched disease
even the empty
even the weak
she got a tattoo of a lotus
on the small of her back
where men had whispered hot and slow
you are slender like a branch
I want to bend you in two as green willow
will not snap
supple in bow, play me never
this girl has forged her symphony war
out of rising in morning, ready to give up
she survived percolating tendency
and the ones who thought her lean
pressing her against shiny coffee tables
unbuckling their murmuring distaste
for respect
thinking her a orfice, a receptacle, alabaster secret
and not a girl capable of swallowing fire
they did not believe in signs and wonders
nor warriors who wear no armor
she stands in her diluted ink
she is the beginning, the circular, the ending
of ways we are forced to be
a stain lies on her skin
it feels like an angels imprint
lending courage for the quiet
of soul, who gathers the leftovers
surviving beyond her welt
she is merciful to the meek
as a storm gathering in force, swells against
shore, building momentum
turning the raw belly of sky
monochrome
What a beautiful mixture of emotions.Well done!
“Lending courage to the quiet of soul”… Simply all wonderful and this verse touches my heart. Thank you!
“they did not believe in signs and wonders
nor warriors who wear no armor
she stands in her diluted ink
she is the beginning, the circular, the ending
of ways we are forced to be”
THIS is so beautiful and speaks to me love it thank you:)
You write so creatively.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that and you!
Thanks so much Rick I appreciate you!
Thank you so much! I am so grateful to you Nikki xo thank you
Dear Janah thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
I’ve been reading your posts for quite some time now, but just a little too shy to comment.
Your creativity in writing beautiful words really inspires me. Please don’t ever stop writing, and do consider me your forever fan. Have a lovely day! 💕
Incredible as ever. You are so gifted with language and I’ve never read anyone who can convey emotion with such creativity 💛
Wow what lovely words! Thank you so much Janah. I know about shyness, I am shy too so we’d probably get on very well! I love how we can lift each other up and support each other, please know that’s how I feel also. Thank you dear friend. xo
You present such an array of emotions in your poetry…so many images are engendered by your words.
DNA prophecy…girl capable of swallowing fire… all the lines are fantastic. This reminds me of the best of Milton, and even more emotive than that!
Beautifully intricate and moving.
the language of the universe flows from your pen
Mesmerising,
This one was – more work than most – I was glad people liked it – thank you Derrick xo
*crimson* thank you my friend
Hello beautiful girl! thank you so much!
Wow that’s high praise! I so appreciate you taking the time to write me and also to read my work that is very, very appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you VERY much my friend for reading my work and commenting = you know you are appreciated very much.
That is high praise my dear friend and I am so grateful for you xo
So excited to be having you join us s!!!🙌
Ditto my brother poet!
Greetings, lovely! You are so welcome.
I know you will say otherwise but this is perfection. Marvelous Candice
Powerful stuff!
This Passage:
‘you must take me from my freedom and tie me up
in a satin bow atop a new gift of hope
somewhere I cannot think or pass
in my mouth the marble and coinage
of my jailer’
…The only poet that gets me every time.
*massive scarlet blush* you leave me spellbound with your regard kind Sir. Truthfully it’s like knowing a favorite author personally and them telling you that they love your work, yeah it feels that good because that’s exactly what it is.
Thank you very much!
No, I agree in that I was glad how it came out, and more glad that you liked it. 🙂
You are the ONLY person on WP I actively seek to read. ‘Nuff said.
I just got caught in the doorway, my swollen head unable to fit through 😉 Seriously, when we first ‘met’ I was intimidated by you, which is odd as I’m rarely intimidated, I take that as a good sign in a strange way, then I realized we were of the same weft and over night it was as if we knew each other the allocation of our years – you treading the moors whilst I brought up the desert rear, chasing your fox tail. Long I hope to know you, in this world and the one that you are creating with every step.
I’m about as intimidating as a seagull. Unless it’s a hungry seagull.
PS finished the third book today. I’m cream-crackered!
Now I’m counting the days until your new tome arrives. Very exciting. 😄👍
Yay. Lol
You realize seagulls are dangerous bastards? 😉
(Did i mention your support is a jewel in my heart?)
Darn straight 😉
Awwwww! 😄🎈🎈🎈
Yet another spectacular piece that has left me (quite literally) wide-mouthed and staring at my screen.
Reblogged this on Tea and Transparency and commented:
Yet another spectacular piece from The Feathered Sleep.
“she learned to lace up her unease” – I absolutely love it!
One of your best (though they’re all amazing you know that) but, this is freaking powerful. I felt this deep inside me and the emotions are going to stay with me all evening
Thank you darling one. The girl in the black dress with the huge eyes always makes me smile
Reblogged this on Sudden Denouement Literary Collective and commented:
Candice Louisa Daquin/The Feathered Sleep
The simultaneous raw power and vulnerability of your subjects blows me away. You have such a distinctive voice Candice. I become lost in your imagery and don’t want to be found for a while. Wonderful. I loved it.
Phil. You honor me, my friend, and I am so thankful for your words, they are immensely encouraging and appreciated. Thank you dear one.