milk of kindness.

Posted on by Lucy
“Lady Macbeth Art Print” by Katastrofe.
Written and read by me.
i feel the tophet
against my hands
like wheat;
wash this blood
between the ilk of the stars
for i’ve done
alone, I echo to the dream
for god I’ve craved
I am not, alone;
and the stars
hang to death’s crib,
the moon has not left;
paralyze,
the womb I’ve had
no son or daughter of mine;
I gleam,
 this candle, this mouth
and eye of lord
to lord—a sheath
of insanity in the dark
i, alone, foretell,
but do not look at me
under the suicided moon
and rocks at shore; i am not
the ghost in the absence of
blood—but the amputations
from war; given dark fruits,
bones abort into the ground,
we turn to ephemeral
wombs, these dead are
our own.

 © 2020 lucysworks.com All Rights Reserved.

Written for the dVerse prompt: Write a poem about or with “wheat” and its possible variations.

I had Macbeth in mind for this, particularly Lady Macbeth for some reason. Don’t ask me why I thought of this with wheat. I guess I cheated with the prompt, yet again.

Published by Lucy

"Poetess of darkness"–dVerse community; cat hoarder, guitarist, keyboardist, psych major.

43 thoughts on “milk of kindness.”

  5. You had me at “this mouth and eye from lord to lord”, framing the Macbeth theme. I enjoyed how much more focused the lines were, perfect for a poetic portrait of Lady M.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Not cheating, Lucy, but creative thinking! Lady Macbeth was mad, so she can compare whatever she wants with wheat. 😊 I love the lines ‘wash this blood / between the ilk of the stars’ and ‘the stars hang to death’s crib’, which alludes to the belief in fate. I also love the way she is compared to the dagger in the lines:
    ‘I gleam,
    this candle, this mouth
    and eye of lord
    to lord—a sheath
    of insanity in the dark’
    and the reference to her childlessness in:
    ‘given dark fruits,
    bones abort into the ground,
    we turn to ephemeral
    wombs’.
    A stunning piece, worthy of the Bard.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, she was pretty mad! Oh, how the mighty had fallen. I’m so glad you enjoyed those lines, and I am thrilled you could see the imagery I had in mind as well.

      “A stunning piece, worthy of the Bard.”

      Oh, now I’m blushing. Thank you so much. ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Lucy! Don’t criticize yourself in your comments and lessen your writing! Have confidence in it! You’ve followed the prompt which was, in its simplest form (which I chose to use) to write a poem that was somehow about wheat. You’ve included the word wheat here in your opening….which I admit…..after I looked up the word “tophet”, is extremely powerful. These words: “and the stars hang to death’s crib” are also very powerful. The feelings in your poem are visceral…they cause me worry and anxiety in terms of phrases like a paralyzed womb and suicided moon. Very dark in mood to me. Again…..just present your poem and perhaps tell a bit about the motivation for it and the source of the illustration. Take pride in your work and don’t short shrift it in your comments below. Own it and don’t apologize for it. You’ve done justice to the prompt and written a powerful poem! No more apologizing!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, Lillian! Thank you so, SO much. You don’t know how much your words impacted me. They hit my heart, and I thank you above and beyond for your support and encouragement. Sometimes, I do indeed doubt myself, but I’m going to take your advice. I cannot thank you enough for your comment; I needed that push. ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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