08 February 2013

Guests, Like Fish


I love pain and how it visits
fingers, toes, elbows, and knees
bringing hostess gifts and
planning to stay with—
indeed, I don't
remember
paying
due
homage
to my own
extremities
before welcoming
pain as best-est of friends.





Re-Posted for Poetry Pantry - #136.  The format is from Kim's Verse First ~ One Word At A Time.  Originally conceived and posted for Mary's Mixed Bag - Love (Not!) at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads.  The title is an allusion to an aphorism by Benjamin Franklin.  The bad grammar in the last line is a deliberate choice.


Copyright © 2013 S.L.Chast




14 comments:

  1. Oh, this is good! Pain is such a 'faithful' (irritating) companion sometime, isn't it???

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  2. I know the feeling. The older I get the more those pain-in-the-ass friends come around.

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  3. Oh, I know that best friend! Love your words and the presentation!

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  4. I have arthritis in every place possible ... yes, I love pain too!!!

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  5. After long enough, one becomes so accustomed to pain, you get used to it....then it is just a matter of degree...........when my grandchildren imitate me, they grab their heads and hobble around muttering, "Oh, My Head, My Head, My HEAD!!!!!" It's really funny!

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  6. Excellent use of personification to make the pain seem all the more real as an uninvited guest.

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  7. I like how you've shaped the poem. I makes me feel like the pain is going down to a certain point...If this were my body, it would be starting at my shoulders, spread across. then traveling down to mid back where it doesn't hurt as bad and then opening up again to the lower back. The visual really did it for me. Loved it.

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  8. Wow, you nailed this....ouch!
    I know pain, she visits me daily-her sting
    is like a beeitch!
    lol
    YOU really did so well on this challenge!
    I botched it...
    perhaps I will try again
    ;D
    <3 yours

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  9. What a horrible companion! You've really come up with a great poem for this.

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  10. Love the title, yes... I didn't really pay homage to my ASS until I developed arthritis, so you are right!! But pain, joint pain, that's awful.

    As for the grammar, this poem was my favoritest in the worldy globule!! Amy
    http://sharplittlepencil.com/2013/02/09/funny-business/

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  11. As someone who suffers pain a lot, if you don't befriend it you've got problems. Great words.

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  12. Such an amusing poem, reminds me of a pain I hated but got accustomed to until it left and I almost missed it.

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  13. This reminds me of an article I recently read in the New York Times. I really like this poem.

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