Tuesday, March 10, 2009

that word you lost

that word you lost
I found it under a rock
hiding with horror-
out of sheer terror
it had become a recluse

that word you lost
wished to eat itself
swallowing itself whole
as with a bitter pill-
now losing its temper

that word you lost

I cajoled it out
tied it in my hanky
to give it back to you
as it wanted to say sorry

that word you lost
a mere word
with so much power-
works both ways
to hurt as well as mend

~~~~~~~~

I had posted the raw version on facebook:

that word you lost
i found it under a rock
it was hiding out of shame
although it came from you
out of its own volition

i cajoled it outside
shook it, cleaned it
tied it in my hanky
to give it back to you
as it wanted to say sorry

a mere word
with so much power
instilled in it-
works both ways
to hurt as well as mend

25 comments:

anthonynorth said...

I'm quite lost for words.
Excellent.

ande said...

I love this! Very musical could be a grand song!!!!

Thom Gabrukiewicz said...

I, too, like the lyrical nature of this. So well done. One of my favorites from your well of writing.

Janice Thomson said...

I absolutely loved this Guatami.
Well done!

Anonymous said...

Very good. Made me mull.

Tumblewords: said...

This has to be a classic - great work!

Sherri B. said...

I loved this...you did a great job of seamlessly working that third word into the poem!

Linda Jacobs said...

I love that image of "tied it in a hanky"! I definitely like the 4-stanza version!

Anya Padyam said...

Wow! that was brilliant:)

it just flows and without rhyming, rhymes:)

Christine Gail said...

the power of words, Wow! this is wonderful!!!

Anonymous said...

Very nice. We often understemate the power of words.

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

I really do like this!

Anonymous said...

Very nice and quite clever!

Jeeves said...

Both versions are awesome...

Anonymous said...

I can see here the power of words. Good work.

Bone said...

I like this, too. There's sadness, yet still hope.

Anonymous said...

I lobe the way this ends with that reminder of the power of words.

TC said...

Well done on this one, Gautami. Words have so much power: sometimes we should think a little more before we use them, you know?

Ana said...

I like the idea of the word wishing to eat itself.

Raven's Wing Poetry said...

Wow! Well-done, I agree. And yes, words can hurt as well as mend. Nicely worked in with the RWP prompt.

Cheers,

Nicole

Anonymous said...

that is truly beautiful g... as spoken in other comments, one of yr best... it must be the tenderness conveyed between the horror...

Anonymous said...

I like the way the additional stanza adds to the image of the lost word as a living, breathing thing. Good rewrite!

Felicity said...

Amongst all your poems I've read, I like this the best. :)

Anonymous said...

I second the praises others have given. What I especially like is that "the word you lost" is never named, so that each reader may find their own word working its way up out of their history / memory. I know I did. Thanks!

aMus said...

i really loved this...

the power of words is overwhelming!