Northward Bound

Death shadows, furious, frenzied, fought Waiting for this wretched soul to rot They redeemed me, tortured me, ceasing not Crows perch upon my severed breast Picking at the insipid flesh Vultures of glee coo and ratify my rest Love pierces my heart that is dead Maddening my severed head Feeding ones engorged instead Deprived and empty of soul within My ribcage grows bare and thin Eaten away by my own cruel kin Skeleton bare and scorned Fowl breasts of youth unadorned Cascaded in grotesque glory, basked and ever-mourned I fly! Hovering over my body too weak As tears fall down my hungry beak Let me fly north toward winter so bleak! The tears freeze on my cold bones In the dark snow that blackens, I grow old As wind, birds and corpses forever moan Homeward north I fly…I feed I, the coal-beaked corpse still need To roam…to rot…to unremittingly greed I am shadow, vulture, corpse, woman—all in one Feeding on my own meat, enriching everyone Absent of my own skin, the pain has just begun
For Justin Bordner's Death Shadow contest
Copyright © | Year Posted 2011

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

Bordner Avatar
December 29, 2014 at 9:29 PM
This is violent, visceral, dark purple in a macabre type of self inflicted justice that just srapes away at the soul. Only you could make something so frightening so beautiful as well Laura! Its a forever death, a punishment of sorts that you seem prepared to endure, seemingly satisfied in a gothic kind of way, your way. Your description of the breasts is very profound, the rhyming and structure very brilliant! A wow poem! J.A.B.
A   Avatar
December 26, 2014 at 11:17 PM
LAURA, CONGRATULATIONS ... this is a nice sweet little HM... hugs.. Linda
Esquire Avatar
January 31, 2013 at 2:35 PM
Dear Laura, YOU are such a gifted POETESS, in any gendre you write, this POEM walks one through the Macabre side of POETRY. Any relation to POE?? LOVE YOU ALWAYS and FOREVER YOUR Eternal Liege...Harry
Williams Avatar
December 26, 2011 at 2:54 AM
Laura amazing write..David
Carlson Avatar
December 25, 2011 at 9:47 PM
I am literally giving my computer screen (you) a thundering round of applause. HOLY JESUS! this set my black river of unholy blood to boiling. Keep it going Laura! - Kyle
Pettit Avatar
December 24, 2011 at 11:50 PM
A very descriptive dark write. I am impressed with this.
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