Lenity In the Slums

She lit candles
in her empty kitchen.
Burnt air disappears
through the back door.

Pale and wild,
brittle street witch,
shy, wide eyes.
Her mind like a weathered epitaph,
left alone in it's quiet mystery;
but her spirit roams
gentle and porous.
City sorrows like ashes
cling to her rags,
sting her eyes.
Their faces burn inside her 
like dim candles
giving warmth 
to her own melancholy.

The cafe windows are boarded up.
She walks home
with November chimney ghosts
and a dying sun,
while she conjures visions of love.

Love is the sad hazy eyes
and cigarette swirls
that swallow the haunted dusk ruins.
Old souls in the streets
waltzing across black gardens.
Dazed escapists shedding lonesome
and tired teenage skin.
All their secrets out,
kissing their willow bones
licking and scorching their dirty feet.

The hymns of a thousand hobos.
The wind with it's cinders, bells,
and organ chord lullabies.
Fleeing boxcars cradle drunks
with tangled hearts.
Junkies smoking by fountains,
paint their reflections angelic in the water.
Graffiti stains the walls
in abandoned churches,
where wild haired children
wrote their names.

Misery missed this place. 
Love evoked their bone yard to flesh.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010



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

Date: 7/25/2013 10:08:00 AM
Powerful, powerful atmosphere. Such saddened melancholic mindset here. This was a sad, but mesmerizing read.
Login to Reply
Fulton Avatar
Katy Fulton
Date: 7/25/2013 5:10:00 PM
Thank you Drake. I wrote this about my experience living in Montreal. The neighbourhood was very poor, but somehow there was something mystical about it. I found I was too soft for the city, so I dealt with it by using my imagination to make the darker times seem more magical.
Date: 6/3/2010 11:37:00 AM
Congratulations on your poetry making it through the first round Kathryn. I wish you the best in the finals. Love, Carol
Login to Reply
Date: 6/2/2010 4:20:00 PM
Congratulations on making it through the first round of the Poetry Soup contest with this poem. Best wishes in the finals. Karen
Login to Reply
Date: 6/2/2010 4:18:00 PM
Congratulations on making it through the first round of the Poetry Soup contest with this poem. Best wishes in the finals. Karen
Login to Reply
Date: 5/3/2010 9:22:00 AM
Many congrats on your featured piece.Rgds Janette
Login to Reply
Date: 5/3/2010 4:13:00 AM
Congratulations on your poetry being featured this week at PoetrySoup. May you have many more features Kathryn. Love,Carol
Login to Reply
Date: 2/11/2010 6:07:00 AM
very moving story, great desiptions, I can sense the desolation. Reminds me of the ghetto I saw in Macon and atlanta. I wonder why people won't get out of there. Make a better way for their families, or change the ghetto.
Login to Reply
Date: 1/15/2010 7:06:00 PM
Hi Kathryn.Welcome to Poetry Soup!! We're all among friends here. Enjoyed reading your poem today. Great visual, very captivating. If you have any questions just let us know okay. Thanks for sharing. Love Light Patty
Login to Reply
Date: 1/15/2010 4:00:00 PM
I would like to welcome you to PoetrySoup Kathryn. I also wish you the best in your writing endeavors. If you have questions please feel free to ask anyone here. We are all willing to help and if we don't know the answer we will find someone who does. Love, Carol
Login to Reply
Date: 1/14/2010 5:30:00 PM
Good use of imagery to portray your thoughts in a vivid way. This poem certainly gives the reader much to think about. Interesting ending. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us and for your kind comment. Welcome to Poetry Soup! I hope you enjoy your time spent with us. Best wishes with your writing. Karen
Login to Reply
Date: 1/14/2010 4:55:00 PM
Very descriptive and expressive write about life in the ghetto. Keep the creative pen flowing. Sara
Login to Reply
Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Hide Ad