I expect you like fragments
entirety of your being; autumn spurred
and trees mocking (me; I have nothing to abandon
but myself and a few friends);
The flowers were your ashes
and blood. I expect you to rearrange
the death
you put in the car
the town-car
no not mine, your own
I expect you to hide it
into maddening prayers
crawling through the bird’s tongue
the blight of roses in my fingers
a sobbing pillow to dust, impressed
by rain
I expect you in wormwood
I expect the sand to store the death
in your arms; the wild, the shepherds,
you have brought me here
too often to forget; the moon flowered herself
a fathered backbone with our blood-roses,
the earth did not raise you
I expect you to have abandoned
each memory circling
fragile as the rain is above you.
the earth did not raise you.
© 2021 lucysworks.com All Rights Reserved.
Written for the 7/15/2021 dVerse prompt which concludes the 10th year anniversary week for dVerse. The prompt was to write a chant poem.
64 responses to “Fragments (the earth).”
I knew the prompt would fit you perfectly… the way you repeat and not repeat works so well….
the death hidden in maddening prayers is especially strong for me.
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Aww, thank you Bjorn! I really enjoyed writing to the prompt, it was challenging but fun.
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“Into maddening prayers crawling through the bird’s tongue”- Amazing Lucy.
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Thank you, Linda!
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Very nice poem.
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Thanks!
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Beautiful Lucy! I love it! ❤
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Thank you, Carol!
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I’m drawn to “blight of roses in my fingers” – perhaps it’s the gardener in me. The final line just wraps it all up so beautifully.
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Thank you so much, Misky!
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This is absolutely OUTSTANDING, Lucy!! Wow! This bit in particular stood out for me; “I expect the sand to store the death in your arms; the wild, the shepherds, you have brought me here too often to forget; the moon flowered herself a fathered backbone with our blood-roses.” 💝💝
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Oh wow, thank you very much Sanaa! ❤ ❤
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Powerful wordsmithing. I always look forward to reading your work.
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Aww, thank you Darius!
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“I expect you to have abandoned
each memory circling
fragile as the rain is above you.”
I love to come here Lucy, and wander through the wonderful, frightening, uplifting, sobering, colorful, passionate, sometimes confusing, but never boring mind pictures you paint with your words. I am so happy you continue to contribute to this human vibration we call poetry!
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Thank you dearly, Rob! How kind of you to say and I’m really happy to hear this. ❤
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The font is a bit jarring but the poem is excellent.
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Thank you, Devika! ❤
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” (me; I have nothing to abandon
but myself and a few friends);”
This statement of humility is stunning
Much💜love
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Aww, thank you. Much love as well. ❤
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Earth shattering finale words Lucy …
” I expect you to have abandoned
each memory circling
fragile as the rain is above you.
the earth did not raise you.”
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Thank you, Ivor!
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My plewasure Lucy
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❤ ❤
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I expect your voice to shine through. Beautifully penned and I love this part:
I expect you in wormwood
I expect the sand to store the death
in your arms; the wild, the shepherds,
you have brought me here
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Aww, thank you Grace. ❤ ❤
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Such a beautiful piece, Lucy! There were so many wonderful moments.
“The flowers were your ashes and blood. I expect you to rearrange the death”
“I expect you in wormwood I expect the sand to store the death in your arms”
I was literally amazed by these lines, spoke a lot. Very well written, loved it ❤❤
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Aww, thank you AB! You’re very kind and I’m happy you enjoyed those lines! ❤
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My pleasure 🙂
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I especially love this middle chunk:
I expect you to hide it
into maddening prayers
crawling through the bird’s tongue
the blight of roses in my fingers
a sobbing pillow to dust, impressed
by rain
I expect you in wormwood
I expect the sand to store the death
in your arms; the wild, the shepherds,
and then the resonating, devastating end. Your words are shards, colourful and prismatic. I have to taste them so carefully. It’s an amazing experience.
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Oh wow, thank you so so much. I’m glad you liked those stanzas, that means a lot to me. Thank you for your kind thoughts and feedback, always appreciated. ❤ ❤
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“the earth did not raise you” ! So forcefully enforces the feel of your verse. I may not always understand but am always awed by your writing, Lucy. ❤️
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Thank you deeply, Punam. ❤️❤️ My poems are often stream of consciousness writing so, at times, it’s hard for me too to know exactly where I was coming from in some lines lol. 😁
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My pleasure always. ❤️ The beauty of your lines blows me away…so I don’t worry much about not getting it all the time. 😀
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this gave me goose bumps and a lot (A LOT) of Plath vibes. especially that middle earth there and particularly this line:
I expect you to rearrange
the death
you put in the car
Gaah. Your rolling and refrain “I expect” worked so well.
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Thank you so very much! 😊
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The hints of repetition set up a haunting echo which rings through your words. The last line is the most haunting of all! I really enjoyed this Lucy.
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Thank you, Ingrid. ❤
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“I have nothing to abandon but myself and a few friends”, loved this line. The humility of it is powerful.
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Aww, thank you!
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Enchanting! G:)
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Thank you, G!
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Great poem.
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Thank you.
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Many times in my life expectations have been squashed …. I have never given up having them. I really enjoyed this, Lucy.
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Thank you, Helen!
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Beauty and elegance, dear Lucy. Nature, humanity, death, possible rebirth…lovely.
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Thank you!
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Welcome!
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I can’t pretend to understand your poetry Lucy, it is far too deep for me! But they always emotionally provocative, it’s like you put me in a blender and I have no idea when or how I will emerge …
This one resonated deepest for me
“you have brought me here
too often to forget”
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Thank you, Kate. ❤
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my pleasure, I appreciate your warm heart!
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❤️❤️❤️
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“the earth did not raise you”
Haunting stuff
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Thank you!
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Pleasure, truly
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enjoyed this very much, especially the section at the end
“the earth did not raise you
I expect you to have abandoned
each memory circling
fragile as the rain is above you.
the earth did not raise you.”
great images, great sound, and lots of mysteriousness… love that
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Thank you so very much!
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You do know how to cast a spell with your words. Life’s interconnections are as complicated as death’s.
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Thank you, and that’s very true!
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Wow! I really liked this. So many great lines! I feel like the repetition of “I expect” seems to show distance, lack of communication and a sense of projection on someone who has done something horrible “the death you put in the car”. The line “the earth did not raise you” repeated seems to underline a sense of otherness. Geez, I’m probably a million miles off base but it gives a person so much to think about. This was just sooo good. 🙂 Well done.
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Thank you so, so much and I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I wanted to convey a sense of being emotionally dead, almost as if the narrator is deliberating with themselves throughout.
I love your interpretation and I thank you for your thoughts and feedback. ❤️❤️ Always appreciated.
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Beautiful piece 💙
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Thanks!
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