Speechless

Original Painting by Samantha Thompson, 2010

Words
travel around my head,

a can of worms,

each extremity closes in on

my fallen crest to remind me,

my mother’s curse to remember

forever to be alone, longing,

unable to utter a word

unless someone first speaks to me.

Glades

how happily we played,

my sweet sisters,

each tree a spirit to pray before

the lilied pond mirrors me,

what a joy to be reminded

that never will I be, alone,

wandering this wonderland

that silently first speaks to me.

Pond

So still without ripples,

why, my mother,

did you strike me down in silence,

it was not I who betrayed you?

No longer can you hear my thoughts
rushing along that cool stream
edging reeds so that they bend

to that silent mirror of touch.

Wait,

that’s all I have,

not to speak unless spoken to

uttering only the last word

or phrase, that’s all I have left

to give back what is given me,

forever to be alone, longing,

unable to utter a word

unless someone first speaks to me.

Text:(c) Peter D. Jones 2011. All rights reserved. Images:(c) Samantha Thompson 2011. Please contact the copyright owners if you wish to use either the text or images. Not to be copied in any form with permission of the creators.