Long Lace Faces (an erasure poem)

We were asked, at We Write Poems (a Thursday poetry prompt) to use a snippet of Dorothy Miller's Richardson's "Pointed Roofs" and literally erase portions of text until we came up with our own, unique poem.

Ill write it out here, but seeing it in its original erasure form is also cool, and you can try the form for yourself. So here's my erasure intact:

http://www.wavepoetry.com/erasures/erasures.php?poemid=2445

And here's the poem. See other erasures at http://wewritepoems.wordpress.com

LONG LACE FACES
an Erasure, from Dorothy Miller Richardson's "Pointed Roofs"

high, plentiful long
lace faces--
collected sense of misery
lessons were dreadful experiences of
home
a little running
her own part swollen
her fingers
so weak
had
suddenly stiffened
at the end trembling.
dreadful movements. She heard nothing
till the end and as she stood up
she pushed angry way from the
clear red-hot mass of fire
green Chartreuse blue and cream.
stupid people made her play. How angry she had been
the forgotten guest she knew
poked all the girls
her heart trembling and burning eyes
thumping stiff
feelings faint
soundlessly until the thumping began again.
evenings, hoping afresh to be alone. But
she could not discover getting rid of
miserable nervous Mr. Strood
she did him credit, once
in a way that had thrilled her...
The tournament.

2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore (Sharp Little Pencil)

A Snow-Globe Mind (Meditation vs. Reality)

A SNOW-GLOBE MIND

God, grant me a snow-globe mind
where visions swirl in sensuous patterns
lovely and peaceful
Only to settle and wait to be stirred again
at a time of my own choosing

Better than this incessant strobe light
An intermittent blinking neon sign
Shining through my eyelids, shaking awake my mind
It has me on my knees
begging for a blackout
if only to cease the pulsating distraction
of a senseless, endless, unrelenting
throb of thoughts

© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil

THERAPY (Two places. WWP)

At We Write Poetry, we were asked to write about two different places we had been recently. This was a no-brainer, or rather a scattered-brainer and sore-shoulderer!


THERAPY (Two places, WWP prompt)

Strrrrretch two-three-four-five
Relax
Bend this way
Now resist when I pull on your arm
…eight, nine, ten. Good
The film showed
some damage
You may need to up the pain meds
Possibly surgery
A little ultrasound and that’ll be it for today
Schedule our next PT session for Tuesday


It’s a stretch
to relax
when my brain is bent this way
I’m resisting, but I view
the film again
slow-motion emotional damage
I may need to up the anxiety meds
But I won’t need surgery or ECT
A little more crying and that’ll be it for today
Schedule our next counseling session for Wednesday

Therapy: Physical, Psychological
Both to stretch and strain
Both with all to gain

© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil