One night I learned the secret!
Why my body uncontrollably
stretches and twists,
outward one minute
springing back the next
like a tight rubber band.
My foot doesn’t lift.
My knee forgets to bend.
My muscles cringe
as my hand curls
to form a claw.
It was a night I was alert
Open to the unknown
While my body hurt.
I felt the presence of what I could not see.
Then..the shadows revealed strings
that led to me.
I watched the shadows for their source.
They all traced
to one that ran their course.
The shadow was a massive blur.
That resembled..
my words were one big slur.
I nearly fainted from the sight.
Am I dreaming?
Is this right?
A Giant held the strings connected to me
as if I was a puppet
for his glee.
At that moment he became aware
of me peering
opening his mouth with a scare.
I cowered as he spoke
afraid
that he ate folk!
His voice shook the room
by surprise
like a flower in bloom.
“You are my marionette for the theater,”
the Giant exclaimed.
“I picked you amongst the rest
because you were the best.”
The doctors call it Spasticisity!
River © 2010
Inspired by Shel Silverstein
for Thursday Poets Rally week 25
windybound
ziibi1
Jul 22, 2010 @ 15:08:19
great!
😉
Jul 22, 2010 @ 16:24:22
Thank you Jingle!
Jul 22, 2010 @ 15:09:49
This is awesome! A sort of twist at the end. Great work! 🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 16:17:10
Lol! Thank you! I would love to read it to my Neurologist and see what he thinks of my take on spastic limbs. 🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 17:32:10
hmm… I get spastic sometimes so I can relate. I could imagine this being danced too
Jul 22, 2010 @ 18:32:42
The more I think about this poem a dance the more I love your idea. It would grow into a whole story of intensity and beauty. I am a dancer at heart. I can’t dance the way I used too but its a personal goal of mine. I have Multiple Sclerosis and my right leg needs a bit of healing. Thank you for planting a seed in my mind. 🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 18:36:46
There are layers upon layers in this poem, depths I am sure you haven’t even thought of yourself, but came through in your writing, excellent.
Joanny
Jul 22, 2010 @ 19:49:44
Thank you! I’m sure you are right. I think we all do that unconsciously in our poems to some extent. 🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 18:45:29
This is a beautiful description of how MS can affect movement. I think you should read it to your doc- this description is much more enjoyable and easier to relate to than those found in medical books…
Jul 22, 2010 @ 19:53:17
Thank you, I will read it to him. 🙂 I am editing and looking for a publisher for a poetry book about my life with MS. We will see. 🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 19:36:07
I was very moved by your poem. Thank you for it.
Jul 22, 2010 @ 19:53:52
🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 20:09:08
You have a great idea with this piece, but the beginning and middle stanzas drag out the poem a tad too long.
Jul 22, 2010 @ 20:24:31
Thanks for a critique. 🙂 I agree with you about the first stanza. I will have to tweak it but the mentions of spastic limbs has to remain in there somehow or another. 🙂 I don’t agree with you on the middle. That moves like a Silverstein poem. 🙂
Jul 22, 2010 @ 20:29:03
This is a very touching poem, thank for sharing and happy rally=D
Jul 23, 2010 @ 08:59:19
happy rally to you too! 🙂
Jul 23, 2010 @ 08:51:39
Awesome! wow for a while, I was reading with an open mouth. A beautiful story through the words of a poet.
Aren’t we all on strings, trying to be picked as the best. Great work!
Jul 23, 2010 @ 08:58:18
Thank you for your wonderful words. 🙂
Jul 23, 2010 @ 16:41:55
Wow…I’m just sitting here trying to catch my breath….that pretty much says what I feel about this poem.
Jul 23, 2010 @ 17:01:45
🙂 Thank you that means a whole lot coming from you. It’s a part of the collection of poems I have for a poetry book about MS and me.
Jul 25, 2010 @ 22:45:58
Wow this poem was epic. Great piece of work.
Jul 25, 2010 @ 23:43:13
Thank you 🙂