Scarlet's Poetry Den - The WomanChild Papers

Scarlet's Poetry Den

"The WomanChild Papers"

If I could still sing

it was a day when it rained
when the worms came out
shimmering pink viscous casings
of biological stuff
that I couldn't avoid stepping on
despite my best intentions

it was a day, with dark clouds and lightning sparking
that I watched the earth try to clean itself
of various dust and debris

I stood out in the rain
hoping to be similarly cleansed
only to find worms at my feet

stupid worms
soon they will be dried into an ugly crud
away from their nurturing soil

it was a beautiful day of rain
I let it touch and caress my exposed parts
while the rest just got soaked

I tried to sing, once again
like I could in my youngness

but my voice won't stretch
to the five octaves it used to
I'm left with just two scales of notes

I could fool a passerby
into thinking I can still sing
as long as I don't go beyond my range

such is growing older
not necessarily wiser
(I probably am --
just hate the idea right now)

so I want to scream
but that won't stop the worms
from turning into dried crud
on the sidewalk

or give me back my voice

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"Sunshine" is original artwork by Regina Lafay and is used with permission. You can visit her gallery at http://www.lafay.com.