Grief, the Great Musician

Rain seeps into every crack and crevice
chilling to the bone
Winter has arrived with a vengeance 
and summer is forever gone.
Ice slicks the asphalt, into a
glittering glistening death trap.
Here begins the slow invasion 
of the unrelenting cold. 

This grubby little mutt follows one day,
His hair matted, claws overgrown.
You take pity on the poor thing;
Starving and probably ill.
(A miserable pup with big sad eyes)
And leave blankets and scraps out the door

You wonder of his owners forgotten
He’s no street dog- well behaved and gentle
Perhaps abandoned, lost.
But maybe not. He’s ugly, scarred
Hairless in patches- He belongs in a kennel.
You don’t want him- and feel an inexplicable deep hatred 
The wag of his tail infuriates and the curve of his snout enrages.
You slam the door.

A glass spills and everything is red.
Merlot on the carpet, scarlet on the bed.
You knock over the roses
Deep crimson of condolence
You want to draw blood, you want to destroy
You crave another’s red bloody torment
Schadenfreude, be damned

His whines pierce-
through the cold air of the night,
and the solid wooden door.
The royal blue E minor: the laments of the abandoned 
You can’t help but join in song
As the wretched creature
howls expressivo at the starless sky
a symphony of loss.

Violins screech to his scratching
with trills, mordents and turns.
The descending melodic line fades and echos;
As the merciless tonic pedal of time ticking
crescendos.
The clarinets wails accompaniment;
subdominant, tonic, leading. 
And with a plagal cadence, the mutt droops his tail

Morning arrives- painfully slow
The rising sun thaws anguished aubergine 
And leave only tender lapis of fingers frostbitten.
They struggle; falls a familiar key 
As you reach and bend
Moist; a warmth unexpected and wet
As the mutt licks your hand 
tongue curling around a corpse’s digits
nuzzling his cold snout into the back of your knee.
Tongue lolling, tail wagging
The mutt never leaves.

The frost on the tree branches promise
Of how you’ve lived and grown
They shimmer like precious silver
and accent the beauty of home.
The fresh biting air, 
with great gasping breaths you shiver.
Here begins a new journey
With your most loyal friend.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2015

Poem

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artlyy Avatar
September 5, 2026 at 10:45 AM
I've really been enjoying your story your characters and storytelling are fantastic. Honestly, I think it would work incredibly well as a manga or webtoon and could help you reach an even bigger audience. I'm a commission-based manga/webtoon artist, and I'd love to help bring your story to life if you're ever interested. Feel free to reach out at gm@il: [email protected] inst@ akiraa_artly
Agustin Avatar
January 14, 2024 at 3:31 AM
Thanks for sharing this... exposing your thoughts through your unique poetic style. Meanwhile, I greet you with the love of the Lord, expressed by John 3:16 of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Be blessed.
A  Avatar
September 9, 2015 at 2:01 PM
:) SKAT
Gifford Avatar
May 22, 2015 at 8:15 AM
I enjoyed reading your poem, Salina, and I especially liked the way you ended it with looking forward to a new journey. I hope to read more of yours when they are posted and I hope you will also want to check out some of mine. ..Darlene
A   Avatar
May 20, 2015 at 7:17 PM
Salina, A nice warm WELCOME to poetry soup. I hope you have fun with this wonderful community. You'll find many friendly poets who are ready to support and give positive feedback. I will enjoy following you and your poetry when you are ready :) We are Lucky To Have you. Enjoy Poetry Soup:) Your New Poet Friend @-> LINDA <-@
A  Avatar
May 20, 2015 at 5:31 PM
Salina, Stopping by with a nice, sweet Welcome to Poetry Soup. I will get much delight in reading and in time become familiar with your verse. As for now, I will greet you with the same smile others passed when I first joined the soup. Wishing you and your poetry the best. I hope you get to meet all the nice poets around here STARTING with me- SKAT :-) Please drop a hello and tell me a little about yourself if you wish. I would like to be your newest poetry soup "FRIEND" Hugs* SKAT
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