Don’t open your chest up
let the butterflies out
burn the velvet gloves and seek to trust
hands held over hands in circles
dancing to the gravy of secure claim
Don’t risk dissolution
by the marble hands of your own family
it never gets easier
a little death upon a little death
pursed words kissing with violence
and just as you know all these things
you hang yourself by the neck
that’s the fool who is a child
keeps returning to empty chairs
all fall down
such is the rope burn
when love turns cruel
when love lets you down
family existing to crush the lotus
how then does the bloom float
something wide and spectacular
with waterlogged roots seeking ground
how then does the moon touch water?
reflecting shapes of wonder against glass
the hurt is
fierce and terrible
the tiger is
open mouthed
the knife digs
deep into sound
stars blitz like warm shower
lights echo in soft purr
you can cut me down with one word
you hold the key, you are my blood
and I love you when you hurt me
more than I should allow
how do we learn
to avoid exposure when
our wrists are bound
by family ties and emptiness
perhaps the pain is reminder
life is a knife, it can butter, it can cut
if we try we can surf
the upside more than down
like migrating streams releasing winter’s cold
Gorgeous, Warrioress. Absolutely Beautiful.
Well written but heart wrenching. Love you sister still praying for you always. Soft hugs
Burn The Velvet would make a great band or album name!
This is beautiful and heart wrenching.
❤️
The searing of it all–the pain, it doesn’t completely go away, but it does wane… in time.I found the following lines to be chock full of matchless imagery and I would consider this the meat of the poem–the most important part, at least, to me while reading it, it seemed this way:
”
NOVEMBER 27, 2017
THEFEATHEREDSLEEP
5 COMMENTS
Don’t open your chest up
let the butterflies out
burn the velvet gloves and seek to trust
hands held over hands in circles
dancing to the gravy of secure claim
Don’t risk dissolution
by the marble hands of your own family
it never gets easier
a little death upon a little death
pursed words kissing with violence
and just as you know all these things
you hang yourself by the neck
that’s the fool who is a child
keeps returning to empty chairs
all fall down
such is the rope burn
when love turns cruel
when love lets you down
family existing to crush the lotus
how then does the bloom float
something wide and spectacular
with waterlogged roots seeking ground
how then does the moon touch water?”
Each day, a test. We are students forever. Peace, Candice.
Ugh… silly copy & paste selected all. Ha! Here’s the bit:
“and just as you know all these things
you hang yourself by the neck
that’s the fool who is a child
keeps returning to empty chairs
all fall down
such is the rope burn
when love turns cruel
when love lets you down
family existing to crush the lotus
how then does the bloom float
something wide and spectacular
with waterlogged roots seeking ground
how then does the moon touch water?”
*nods*
This is awesome ❤️
Beautiful 🌹
Wow. 😊😊
Such searing pain, yet sensible of release
It’s always, very difficult, for all of us to accept the fact that we’d been hurt deeply and badly by our own parents, because they were supposed to love us, but never had, and yet, after we’d figured all of it out, we need to, forgive ourselves for being so vulnerable, for being so young when we were hurt, for not being able to, keep ourselves safe and sound…
Is it betrayal, or is it learned helplessness, or – is it a continuation of lessons learned……
There are those of us in the world with love enough to fill the gaps. Heart up, petal!
This is excellent stuff
Thanks so much!
Great words!!!
All three?
💓
So well said I agree 💓
💓
🙂 💓
Thanks so very much 💓
Thanks so very much 💓
You are Welcome.
TY coming from someone who is a REALLY talented writer, I’m very grateful
💓
Thanks my friend 💓
YES!!
Ditto and how lucky am I?
Thanks so much my friend 💓
❤❤❤
I’m pretty sure you’ve got me beat, Candice. But, thank you and you’re quite welcome.
More than likely ! And then some….
Soft hugs
Ya know there is a lot of truth in this, but I believe that the hold such folks and their betrayals hold on and over us, turn to the ash from which we emerge knowing the truth from the lies. 🙂 ❤
No. It never gets easier
You are a metallurgist and language is the malleable medium you beautifully bend to your will.
Reblogged this on Brave and Reckless and commented:
Candice Louisa Daquin/The Feathered Sleep
So much gorgeous language to get lost in:
“Don’t open your chest up
let the butterflies out”