Inspired by a short story writing contest sponsored by Clarity of Dawn, why don’t you enter? Fiction in 250 words, poetry allowed, though would be hard pressed to compete with such awesome fiction writers out there.
Dawn Breaks
I awoke to an ominous sky
banging on heart’s door,
and refused to answer,
instead, hunted for self pride
through unorganized memories
stacked high here,
strewn haphazardly over there,
before its last screw,
loosened by low self-esteem,
could fall into the gutter below.
It was a hurried attempt to find
and tighten it
with my new firmness
of conviction.
My heart’s ear, though,
sent piercing words of his
practiced agony and remorse
through gaps in
our door frame,
and practiced sympathy
reversed pressure within
our walls, threatening to burst open
my heart’s door and allow entrance
to that which should not be.
A battle ensued, yet more fierce
than previous battles. Compassion
thrust both hands toward one golden knob,
ready to open heart’s door
and give embrace to him beyond.
I, in an attempt to regain control
of heart’s increasing pressure,
threw my weight
against that heavy door,
hip took the hit unscathed,
used to life movement, back and forth.
Face, not yet used to sporting
artwork on its cheek bones
sculpted by much worn knuckles
to match a multi-colored
ominous sky, deepened
its own colors as more mountains
emerged from beneath its surface.
Yesterday’s pain returned,
I acknowledged self-preservation’s
new found home,
tightened now multiple loosened screws,
added a dead bolt to heart’s door,
and made a cup of tea, blocking out
all sound, but the throbbing
of mountains rising and
the beating
of a changing heart
still under an ominous sky.
MeeAugraphie
11/11/07
I could not resist, those weeks of barely writing anything, much less poetry, have opened the flood gates. This one, I even edited to make it longer, quite the change from recent attempts at shortening things. Guess all that shortening practice paid off, because in spite of NaNoWriMo, I am writing shorter for the most part. Not sure that the story is clear enough for the contest, but in the spirit of “the fun is in the attempt”, I will enter it.
