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Into the Dirt

Posted by russiandoll on November 4, 2010 - 21:10

Please don’t say he’s in the past
Or look back on his life
Don’t mention that he’s gone for good
This widow’s still his wife

Don’t talk about the graveyard views
Or comment on the flowers
We needn’t say another thing
About his final, living hours

Let’s not think about the words
Etched cold upon the stone
Let’s avoid that conversation
Just leave it standing there, alone

Forget about reality,
We’ll move on with denial
We’ll carry on just like before
We can live and we can smile

Put away the picture frames,
We don’t need to remember
When it comes to Christmas time
We’ll drink all through December

We’ll fail to mention birthday thoughts
Ignore the missing cake
Fill up the day with things to do
Get busy, just be fake

We’ll bury all the precious jewels
Deep down into the dirt
Away with all the memories
Damn feelings only hurt

Hold back on those heavy tears
Arrest them in your eyes
This is how we do it
When we don’t let out the cries

This is how we fool ourselves
When we can’t say goodbyes

Discuss this piece in the abctales forum


Comments

insertponceyfre... | November 4, 2010 - 22:35

I love this - the way the rhythm echoes all the under the surface emotion - brilliant russian doll!

TheSecretGirl | November 4, 2010 - 23:08

I also love this poem, i love the emotion and the thought, i couldn't stop reading even though i had many memories replaying in my head.

russiandoll | November 4, 2010 - 23:20

:))) Thanks guys for your feedback, very much appreciated. I'm thrilled that you got the feeling of the energy/emotion in it... I kind of read it to myself through gritted, defensive teeth and I'm pleased that comes through to others too.

And thanks abctales for the cherries!! :))

Amanda-Moo | November 5, 2010 - 04:59

This is amazing... incredibly honest and touching.

russiandoll | November 5, 2010 - 10:30

thanks Amanda-Moo.. :))

shoe | November 5, 2010 - 10:52

Very moving, yes the gritted teeth (and teary eyes) show through!, for me the first three stanzas stand out, excellent.

russiandoll | November 5, 2010 - 17:55

Thanks Shoe :))

Dodgystrawberry | November 5, 2010 - 22:06

Very well deserved cherry! A sad song just came on my computer as I was reading this & a tear fell off my nose!

Larkin Williamson | November 6, 2010 - 23:21

Wonderfully written and tugs at the heart strings.

russiandoll | November 7, 2010 - 13:40

Thank you blighters rock, Dodgystrawberry and Larkin :))

celticman | May 20, 2011 - 21:32

Just discovered this. Wonderful poem. Made my night.

russiandoll | May 24, 2011 - 19:53

And your comment made mine! Thanks so much celticman :)

maggyvaneijk | August 3, 2011 - 13:59

This is beautiful and devastating at the same time, this stanza in particular:

Hold back on those heavy tears
Arrest them in your eyes
This is how we do it
When we don’t let out the cries

It reminded me a lot of Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking.

russiandoll | August 3, 2011 - 14:56

Thanks so much for your comment Maggy :) Thanks also for mentioning the Joan Didion work - I hadn't heard of it and have now read about it - sounds amazing. I think a lot of people are scared of writing or reading about grief and yet both are so healing & transformative. Thanks again :)