Songs of Eretz Poetry
Review is
pleased to present “the harlot” by Ross Balcom. Mr.
Balcom is a counselor living in southern California. In addition to frequent appearances in the Songs of Eretz venues, his poems have
appeared in Beyond Centauri, inkscrawl, Scifaikuest, Star*Line,
Tigershark, and other publications. Currently, his favorite poets are John Ashbery, Lo Fu,
and Michael McClure. In addition
to poetry, his interests include parapsychology, hypnosis, and neuro-linguistic
programming (NLP).
the harlot
Ross Balcom
the moon
diseased
gray light
falling
on misfortune's
isle
its shattered
cities
dank alleys
winding
syphilitic
shadows
your daughter
wild
a harlot
laughing
madness
in her eyes
electric
runes
shrieks
of lust
her torments
her joys
she runs
from you
always
feet bleeding
hair flying
darkly
lost to you
lost
her pale hand
clutching
the soiled
amulet
of dawn
Poet’s Notes: Many have experienced the
emotional nightmare of trying to "save" a loved one who does not want
to be saved. This poem conveys the futility, despair, and heartbreak that such
would-be saviors feel. The poem had its inception in a series of mental images
that arose spontaneously while I was resting, though not sleeping,
with my eyes closed. Many of my poems originate in this way.
Editor’s Note: What a great set up
to the shocking revelation in the seventh stanza! I enjoy the stark imagery and find the steady rhythm to have
just the right amount of variation to make it interesting. “the harlot” first appeared in the
November 2014 issue of Songs of Eretz
Poetry E-zine.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.