'dear Prudence'

Hell breaks loose through the trusting door
Whining its splintering, wooden hinges
Claws wrapping onto the arches beyond
Gnarled feet pressed on the threshold
Lower limbs jingling with sparky anklets
Ready to catapult and kick with spitting mouth
To shove its shine like a worthy prick
It was time for her daily purges

Peace is slapped about in her fickle hands and made ragged
Turmoil in her pedicured toes erodes the smoothed surfaces
Of the fashions’ must, into dusty rust of sick disgust

Her coral lips curve in delight
At the sight of confused and crazy creatures
Staring numbly at her hell-bent sight
She is always laughing, snarling or lying low
Waiting for the climatic blow 

Bottom dwelling, blush smearer 
Eyeliner runner, nail-biting binger
Her lies tease and her eyes see a perfect she will never be
As her large, curved nails glimmer 

She scuttles her way like a crab in a salty delirium
She hides her hiss like a snake ready to miss for a chase
Challenging practicality,
“Dear Prudence, 
Won’t you come out to play?”
But we are silent to the accursed 
The wise are wary and rehearsed

We all slip right through as she intrudes an empty room
Waiting for a reaction, screwing with the lights to assert a distraction 
She wreaks havoc in the dark,
“Dear Prudence!”
She screams,
As we softly walk down the path, nomads against the crabs
She doesn’t realize she is her worst fear—alone
Her mask melting and her anklets snapping
Collapsing, the tears she squeezed for her high
Were emptied, vindicated and dried 
Angrily she must realize
In her twisted, stubborn way

It’s a beautiful day… 

A crazy collab with my brother David Breidenthal [J.W Earnings]
Copyright © | Year Posted 2016

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Marcum Wong Avatar
March 16, 2016 at 2:19 PM
Congratulations to both of you on this deserving POTD!
Breidenthal Avatar
March 16, 2016 at 6:43 PM
Thanks Connie! ( : ~Laura
Bankson Avatar
March 16, 2016 at 2:04 AM
Congrats to the both of you,,great imagery..You have a new fan
Breidenthal Avatar
March 16, 2016 at 6:43 PM
Awww, thanks Jai. I greatly appreciate the comment, and I'll be checkin out some of your poetry! ~Laura
Bordner Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 10:16 PM
Every crab has it's cake...this poem is a wonderful display of your alliterative and rhyming skills David and Laura...J.A.B.
Breidenthal Avatar
March 16, 2016 at 6:42 PM
Nicely said, Justin! Thanks for readin'! A wonderful display of weirdness I'd say! ;)~Laura
Andresen Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 3:24 PM
- A great poem from you and your brother - Congratulations 2 U 2 ! - hugs // Anne-Lise :)
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 8:20 PM
Aww, thank you Anne. Glad to have you stop by. You're such a cheerful poet! ~Laura
Ashe Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 12:59 PM
First congrats on the POTD and second, what a visually, capturing write! Visionary words! Do Write On...Write On!
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 1:09 PM
Thanks for the sweet comment Walter! ~Laura
Nance Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 11:36 AM
Great! grats on poem of the day you two! ;) :)
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 12:11 PM
: D Thank ya!~Laura
Rockwell Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 9:24 AM
A captivating read! Congrats on POTD! ~Cindi
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 9:28 AM
Thanks Cindi (: ~Laura
Sergi Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 7:01 AM
Powerful imagery, Laura! Congratulations on poem of the day!
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 7:49 AM
Pretty crazy stuff (: Thanks! ~Laura
Smith Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 6:14 AM
Congratulations for POTD Great write
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 7:48 AM
Many thanks, Charlie! ~Laura
Walker  Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 5:10 AM
Well written Laura. I enjoyed the images that you formed. Verlena
Breidenthal Avatar
March 15, 2016 at 7:48 AM
Thanks very much, Verlena! ~Laura
Trifiatis Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 6:14 AM
Very profound images that touch the heart and soul of the reader! Excellent collaboration! A seven to each dear, Laura!
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 6:19 AM
Thank you very kindly, Demetrios!~Laura
Fiery Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:14 AM
Wonderful imagination Laura,,.,..I really enjoyed this collaboration . You have enriched this piece with rich imagery ...7/7..Just brilliant !!!
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:49 AM
<3 Thanks Red. We really appreciate it. ~Laura
Hicks Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 12:44 AM
Prudence as a monster with claws ... and sparkly anklets. You really went places with the personification. It was a crazy piece. But also entertaining and powerful. I adored your last three lines. How often do we whimper and fear over nothing, and then with hesitation admit, that it was nothing ... and in fact ... it's beautiful! Super imaginative, Laura.
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:46 AM
Thanks Timothy. David and I come up with some weird stuff it seems. Haha. I appreciate your thoughts. ~Laura
Manassian Avatar
March 13, 2016 at 3:05 PM
Very powerful write by the two of you. The imagery you evoked was real and...scary! Great job.
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:42 AM
Thanks, Eileen. We had a lot of fun writing this together. I had to make the best of my spring break. Haha. Yeah, this one's a weird one. At times my brother read a line I would come up with, and he'd make a face like, "you're not my sister...."XD but we wanted the antagonist to just be creepy and over the top. ~Laura
Fleming Avatar
March 13, 2016 at 2:19 PM
I found this to be both dark and sensuous in a sexually explicit sort of sort of way. Definite tints of "Shades of Grey". I really did enjoy this read, Laura...Best poem I have read tonight! My very best regards...And warmest wishes. :) john
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:40 AM
There's definitely a sexualness to the character...when she plays, she harms...even, blindingly, herself. Describing her we wanted her to be familiar, but in a appalling, scary way. Thank you sweet John. ~Laura
Lamoureux Avatar
March 13, 2016 at 9:45 AM
You both did this very well, lots of imagery! Impressive writing.
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:34 AM
Thank you, Richard. it was a crazy one - thanks for sticking with it to the end.~Laura
Mark Avatar
March 13, 2016 at 8:41 AM
Very complex write of intriguing lines and metaphores, reads well and entertains in a " guess what's next" kind of way, many good solid lines that clearly reflect a talent for words, and you wear them well....nice intense write...well done...Ian
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:32 AM
Ian, thank you for your super sweet comments lately. David and I were adamant about the metaphors. "metaphor the hell out of it," he said. I said, can do. Now what's the first line...? ;) <3 Laura
Davey Avatar
March 13, 2016 at 7:38 AM
That was amazing, it was like a war waged between life and death, good and bad etc. etc. Very well done marking it a fav poem
Breidenthal Avatar
March 14, 2016 at 1:30 AM
Thanks Brian, I really appreciate the comment and for reading. The good, the smart, ain't got time for that mess! ~Laura
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace