Monster Heart

Here is my monstrous
heart. I remember
when bile didn’t mix with blood
as it traveled through
un-gouged walls.

I don’t trust it
not to alarm the unwary
with its feral beat
and shadow roaring
reverberating around old scar tissue.


But I will trust you, always,
with the truth of the stories
behind each scab and bloodied bit,

because this truth,
odd and unshapely,
is the most precious thing
I have to give.





Liner Notes for This Groove: This poem was created for the Weekly Scribblings prompt given at Poets and Storytellers United. I chose to work with the phrase "Love can be a monster, or not."

42 comments:

  1. Wow, what a fabulous poem! That's a true love poem. My absolute favourite of yours (so far). It fair knocks me sideways. I wish I'd written it.

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    1. Woot! That's extremely high praise. I'll take it. :)

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  2. I like this, Rommy! Direct and powerful!

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  3. This is gorgeous truth, Rommy. I love the speaker's tone. It sings of the power that feeds relationships where those involved share raw reality, particularly the really scary bits. And the imagery lingers...

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    1. Perfect. I was hoping for a bit of viscera to remain on the brain.

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  4. This is my kind of poem, Rommy, with a Gothic twist! What an offer, ‘Here is my monstrous heart’, with ‘feral beat and shadow roaring reverberating around old scar tissue’. A heart is a heart, and it is indeed the most precious thing one has to give.

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    1. And it is especially lovely when that given heart is cherished.

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  5. Truth in the stories, pure power. I love where you took this challenge.

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  6. Our truth is our greatest gift to others. Beautifully written!

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  7. Assertive, powerful and straight to the heart. A brilliant write, Rommy!

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  8. Lovely for us monster lovers. You started with a big bang, "I remember
    when bile didn’t mix with blood." I really liked the stories of the scars, my thumb sized splotch has one for sure. When I was around nine I accidentally sliced the scalp off when my bike ride took me under the edges of a metal roof.
    ..

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    1. Oh yikes! LOL, my longest lasting scar is the one from my C-section.

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  9. This is so powerful, raw. Very well written! Love this Rommy! Big Hugs!

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  10. How precious to have those who see the scars and wounds and monsterous bits of us and still stick by our side...

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    1. Precious indeed. And I am ever grateful for it.

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  11. Nice one Rommy
    Happy Sunday

    much love...

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  12. And you let it beat and you let it speak! It can't be denied.

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  13. This is powerful. A true lover must accept such raw truth.

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  14. A story so true one cannot escape its feeling. The readers know, and remember their own scars and healings as the words flow, as the story is told.

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  15. It is all part of our education to acknowledge the highs and lows of life. We should learn how to cope early as sooner or later problems even disasters will affect us and we must be strong enough to make the best of it and somehow get back to normal.

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  16. I'm all about truth...keep giving Rommy.

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  17. I've read this 4 times and come away with something different each time.
    That's what makes this one great read.
    Introspection, Warning, Truth, Honesty and probably a host of other thoughts each time I read it.

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    1. I am beyond tickled by this. I love it when a poem can hold a few different worlds in its orbit.

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