Ashes and Flakes

Scarlet scars 
                    like flowers 
               of frozen flames
          Sepia stitches   
     like thorns 
               of burning ice

Bitter-sweet pain of my sufferings
tainted on my body, my soul.
A beautiful shroud
for my ugly demise to come,
presented by the sadistic torturer
who batters me with a beating pendulum
as I am shackled in chains of seconds
welded into minutes
and minutes welded into hours 
of lasting misery.
I scream out loud but all I could hear 
is mockery of silence.
My cacophony out of pain is buried
under the symphony of tick-tock.
How ironic, isn't it?
I say this with utter grief,
time has never been a healer to me.
In fact, my wounds got worse.

     Burning inside
              and freezing outside,
        feels like I was born to suffer
     so I walk on the needles of clock
           leaving behind my trail in
                              ashes and flakes.


Date: 07/19/2017

Note: For the contest (Deep & Dark II) by Laura Loo.
          *Placed First*
Copyright © | Year Posted 2017

Poem

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Robinson Jr. Avatar
December 8, 2017 at 8:28 AM
Gorgeous gothic imagery this poem be, Afzal. The opening lines mesmerizes until the last scintillating verse. Brilliant poetry! Love and peace forever.
Nusker Avatar
May 1, 2018 at 4:19 AM
Thank you very much, Freddie
Barden Avatar
November 6, 2017 at 12:35 AM
Congratulations on your wonderfully dark win, Afzal - blessings, and keep up the great work! :-)
Nusker Avatar
November 6, 2017 at 10:07 PM
Thank you, Greg.
Canerdy Avatar
October 29, 2017 at 6:07 AM
Effective description of absolute hopeless misery, Afzal. Congrats on your win! Janice
Nusker Avatar
October 29, 2017 at 11:03 PM
Thank you, Janice.
Roper Avatar
October 28, 2017 at 10:25 PM
Afzal, deep and amazing, congratulation on your win Hugs Eve ~`*
Nusker Avatar
October 28, 2017 at 11:24 PM
Thank you, Eve.
Daniel Avatar
October 28, 2017 at 10:48 AM
Lovely poem, Afzal, though it's sad and haunting:) congratulations on your well deserved win:)
Nusker Avatar
October 28, 2017 at 11:25 PM
Thank you, Jo.
Rodrigues Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 4:56 PM
Congrats, Afzal! Nice win!
Nusker Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 10:26 PM
Thank you, Kim.
Cozart Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 2:14 PM
Awesome! Congrats on your win!
Nusker Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 10:25 PM
Thanks a lot, Dale.
Pigeon Tart Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 10:57 AM
Wowsa! So dark. Congratulations :) xomo!
Nusker Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 10:25 PM
Thank you, Maureen.
Hamilton Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 9:15 AM
Well done Afzal and congrats on a great win!
Nusker Avatar
October 27, 2017 at 10:25 PM
Thank you, John.
Marcum Wong Avatar
July 21, 2017 at 4:55 PM
When the pain doesn't cease and time moves slowly, making it increase....I can relate from past experience Afzal. I find it is emotional wounds that often do not heal. A great poem Afzal! : )
Nusker Avatar
July 21, 2017 at 10:41 PM
I think many of us have and do experience it from time to time. Thank you for the visit and insightful comments, Connie.
Williams Avatar
July 21, 2017 at 6:08 AM
I really enjoyed this emotional write of yours Afzal. 'Burning inside and freezing outside, feels like I was born to suffer'. Especially like these deep words...Maria
Nusker Avatar
July 21, 2017 at 10:39 PM
Thanks a lot, Maria.
Daniel Avatar
July 21, 2017 at 5:48 AM
I can relate to this somehow, Afzal, very touching:) exceptional writing:)
Nusker Avatar
July 21, 2017 at 10:39 PM
Thank you so much, Jo.
Dietrich Avatar
July 20, 2017 at 9:04 PM
This is such a creative approach to your theme. It almost looks like haibun, if the last and first parts were haiku! I especially liked the part : Time has never been a healer to me. So profound!
Nusker Avatar
July 20, 2017 at 10:53 PM
Thank you very much, Andrea.
Roper Avatar
July 20, 2017 at 12:35 AM
Such a emotional heartfelt write, Afzal, nicely written.
Nusker Avatar
July 20, 2017 at 1:31 AM
Thank you, Eve.
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