in the unmaking of worlds
down to their atoms.
I’ve been the final girl
at the end of all my personal apocalypses,
when all that’s left is the waiting
for the shattering of light
to remind me of the breath and heat
still inside me.
Liner Notes for this Groove: This poem was created for the prompt given at Poets and Storytellers United, Always Learning. I also was partially inspired by the idea of the Final Girl trope, which is all over the place in Halloween movies.
I love that ending:
ReplyDelete“remind me of the breath and heat
still inside me”
Thanks!
DeleteIt's like the Big Band of girl making!
ReplyDeleteSomething like that :D
DeleteThanks for introducing me to the Final Girl trope. (And I love that the explanation began with a quote from Buffy.) Your personal version of her is beautifully triumphant.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rosemary!
DeleteBOOM! That first line is pure magic. A shot of the universe giving birth to herself and rejoicing in the violent chaos of the explosion. And the promise given in the last stanza, makes the whole thing extra yummy.
ReplyDeleteI had to bring the BOOM. :D
DeleteIs that a raccoon I see in the artwork?
ReplyDeleteLOL, it looks a little more sloth-like to me, but I can see it.
Delete"I’ve been the final girl
ReplyDeleteat the end of all my personal apocalypses." : wow, this is cool.
i have been looking for a name for that, and now you told me. Final Girl trope. :)
TV Tropes is a fun website to spend time on. My son and I like to talk about the ones we find and how they fit into our writing.
DeleteThere's something of an invincible spirit captured by the speaker of your poem. And the light within is a powerful compass.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Khaya
DeleteWe are stardust and you make dust by erosion or explosion!
ReplyDeleteQuite true!
DeleteThis is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen
Deletenicely done! so true, we are always reborn in the aftermath of our tragedies. and thanks for turning me on to final girl trope, i'm bookmarking that page, so much film theory presented from an alt-perspective, that's my kind of theory! again very well done
ReplyDeleteThat is one of my favorite sites! I love talking about them with my Darling Eldest, who is also a writer, and seeing how well some tropes are used in our favorite works (or how poorly they are used in the ones that disappointed us).
Delete"at the end of all my personal apocalypses,"
ReplyDeleteIs this what drives many of us?
If survivor's guilt doesn't get in the way, there is a certain satisfaction in remembering that I've survived another day. And sometimes that satisfaction is enough to motivate me.
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDelete