Bastard Child

Like a penny, lost and worthless, woman
mother, and buried within the origin pit, dark
she brought me like a Jezebel into her life of mourning
mistress of the stage and child to horror
born, and off he ran, forced flight my father, loss
the hussy dies but on Edgar lives in awe.

Blood and death and pain feed Poe’s awe.
Why she had done, what soul had she, this woman
leaving him a found fledgling of loss?
“Why, why, bring me into this hellish dark?”
Coal black the pit and pendulum of this zealot father’s horror
the devil’s drink brought penitence and forced, mourning.

“Bastard child!” his stepfather screamed in mourning
as his new Mother looked on in awe.
And, his new brother watched on in horror,
the lash was not spared nor kindness brought by woman.
In the starkness of his mind there was only dark.
Abandoned child, Poe, and his rescuers brought only loss.

“Run, leave, you villains all!” He cried. “There is only loss!”
So on, he wrote into the dark and mourning.
The ink the Prussian blue released the anguish his dark.
Intuition, and superstitious fright will feed him awe.
Cousin, sister, wife, would be his woman
the banshees cry, her bloody death became his horror.

“Alone, alone…” The corbies’s caw brings horror,
but for the devil’s drink, he’s naught but loss........
“Lenore…..” He’ll wall his tainted heart away from woman
and make his blasted soul the start of mourning.
“To hell with you!” He screams at those in awe
of his blank and burned out hulk of dark.

Bricked in or deep within the ripest dark...
“God, so alone……….” He hides in horror,
forlorn, depraved and not at all in awe.
For there is no romance found in loss
no beauteous bounty in the dross of mourning,
no family, friend or wife not tainted, born from woman.

So, Poe lives and dies in awe of the dark. 
Where woman’s deepest depths bring only horror
and loss is all he knows in light of mourning.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2010

Poem

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M V Avatar
November 18, 2011 at 5:42 AM
This is written so beautifully,Debbie. There are so many exceptional and great lines in the poem like ''Blood,death and pain feed Poe's awe''.Its style is also unique.I saw the page showing the video of another poem When Madness..................But I couldn't open it .May be due to some system error.I will try later.Have a good day.Lovingly FAB
Skyles-Theoklapoet Avatar
October 19, 2010 at 2:32 PM
So good Deborah I really enjoyed this.Congrats on your HM.Teresa
Freeman Avatar
October 15, 2010 at 6:02 PM
Congratulations Debbie on your excellent content is Sestina form, worthy of all honors. Agape, Moses
Kendrick Avatar
October 14, 2010 at 4:38 PM
Congratulations on your win..Sara
Mehta Avatar
October 5, 2010 at 12:05 PM
Congratulations on this well deserved win, Debbie
Brown Avatar
October 4, 2010 at 4:30 AM
Congratulations on your win Deborah in John Heck's contest "Blink". Love, Carol
Mannan Avatar
October 3, 2010 at 9:53 PM
What a beautifully worded poem. Many congratulations.
Richards Avatar
October 3, 2010 at 2:40 PM
You put so much thought and effort, to make your writes "out of the ordinary." ...another wonderful example....whow...I almost missed another of your fine writes...so glad I caught it here!! What a great piece! Congrats~~!!
Kendrick Avatar
June 18, 2010 at 2:50 PM
Interesting write about Poe...He wrote a weird one or two didn't he and some so expressing is love for another...Keep the creative pen flowing..Sara
Spence Sr Avatar
May 23, 2010 at 6:31 PM
Excellent, this is just excellent. I have a sestina which I wrote when I was traveling between Sharm el-Sheikh Sheik and Eilat in the Sinai Peninsula. I must find it and post it soon. It’s a blessing to know that that the 14th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution does not recognize such terminology anymore. It’s about time discrimination against children should be eliminated. Keep writing. Blessings, Joseph
Clark Avatar
May 23, 2010 at 2:48 PM
Intriguing write Deborah!! You captured the profile of Poe with some of his style & flair. Very nice!! Dramatic! Thanks for the pointers on your way by.... Love Jeralynn
A   Avatar
May 23, 2010 at 5:57 AM
You are bad D.G., Edgar Allen Poe, is my fav, poet, love the job you did here. the tittle has me going, super. Lady you are awesome . I have to toss this one in my favs. Got to swallow what you have going here,..p.d.
Byrne Avatar
May 22, 2010 at 9:25 PM
powerful stuff!
Guzzi Avatar
May 22, 2010 at 8:44 PM
Testing 1,2,3 yell if you know what a corbie is?? ;) ;)
Fraser Avatar
May 22, 2010 at 5:39 PM
Impressive write from the teacher, your on a different level Deborah with some of your recent writes. A pleasure to read >> James
Shrivastava Avatar
May 22, 2010 at 11:41 AM
This is one of the darkest poem i have ever read..Nice work friend:)
Goff Avatar
May 22, 2010 at 11:11 AM
intense paternal darkness....beautiful art! Deb! jamie
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