Sweet Dixie
The church bell tolls angrily at midnight
The river seeps under your fingernails.
The moon is captured in six dozen
Glass gin bottles hanging from a gutted tree.
Willow trees too old to die
Offer themselves as chaise lounges in emerald.
Faded calico prints dry in the sun made
Harsh by the hate grandmother endured.
Streaks of snow in her knotted hair
She drinks from the silver she gave her name to.
It is not enough to atone for the blood the cups held
She cleans it for the next generation.
Photo by Marcus Lewis on Unsplash
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Dominic Alapat
A dark and disturbing poem about the past. The lines come at you like a whip! Great post!
Jaya Avendel
How splendidly you have read this! Thank you.
Baby Boomer Super Saver
Hauntingly beautiful poem, Jaya! This one really caught me. It starts out slowly, ominously. There is a hint of explanation in the gin bottles, but the moss covered trees appear willing to keep their secrets. There is some remorse, and possibly redemption, by the poem’s end.
Jaya Avendel
Oo, I love how you shared your experience reading this line to line! Thank you.
brittshedhappens
Wow, this is beautifully written! I love the way that you’ve described the whole scene in such a way that I can close my eyes and really see it all play out in front of me.
Kelly Diane
This is such a moving and emotive piece. It really captures your imagination.
Charley
Wow, this was beautifully written – thank you so much for sharing!
nianni
Really nice poem as always. I like the image used.
Keep Calm & Drink Coffee
Willow trees too old to die
Offer themselves as chaise lounges in emerald.
I love willow trees.
When I was a child I had a willow tree in my garden and I spent a lot of time on it.
Just like the chaise longue you described.
And this is so amazing and herat moving!!
<3
Jaya Avendel
😍 My willow tree is yet young and has not formed a chaise lounge for me, so I love that you shared a little bit about your tree.
Em and Jess
Beautifully written and some lovely imagery within your words! You’re really talented 🙂
Natasha Evans
Such lovely words – as always!
Tash – A Girl with a View
glowsteady
I love how deep this one is, and it’s so beautifully done. I got so much imagery with this one, you made it so easy to feel like you’re in this story!
Merry
The photo and your poem match so well, Jaya! It has a deep meaning and I love it so much 😀 Well done x
barbaraleaver
A very deep piece giving the feeling of pain and hardship but hopefully some measure of getting better by the cleaning of the cup. Great poem!
Jaya Avendel
Thank you for sharing your interpretation of this piece!
eob2
Such deep meaning behind these words, generational history.
Raji (@journeyintofantasy)
This is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing, I always love reading your poetry.
Lisa's Notebook
Just beautiful, Jaya. My favourite lines are, “The moon is captured in six dozen Glass gin bottles hanging from a gutted tree.” You have such a way with words, it makes it so easy to visualise what you say 🙂
Nancy
Oh man, I am so glad that church bells don’t ring at midnight here haha. Though, they do ring at sunrise and sunset, so I know how they are!! I love this whole atmosphere that you described. It just sounds very lively with balance. Great job!!
Nancy ✨ mdrnminimalists.com
bournemouthgirl
This is such a lovely post. You have chosen a great photograph to accompany your writing. Thank you for sharing this piece Jaya!
Lucy
Wow! This is stunning, Jaya. Beautiful work. <3 <3
short-prose-fiction
Gorgeous! I really like it!
alexfaithwrites
Beautiful as always! Loved the ending, very interesting.