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Outside the Mind - Poe - Plath

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Dust rises thick with grim, sweat drips from rims
of drug-store eyes he wears to spy. 
A parting of the slats, which dangle by twin hooks
This Moses at the sea
will look, and count, to see who's home, who's come, who's gone

Behind a brick façade, what makes one hide
in a beehive's nest of shopworn lives?
Where sorrow turns to peevish glue
in a Hitchcock room that feeds his fear?
Where wind says,  "Come outside"!

Should he pull the string, raise the blind
maimed of grime and years?  Then what? Then what?
Slacken the cord to scan the scene? 
What if the wind asks,  "Come outside" ?

They  come and go, come and go
Who knows when or why they go 
Where do they go, where do they go, where do they go go go

His  breath escapes, from thin lips, pursed,
against the glass. as if rehearsed
His youth entombed by flocks of loss…
Thoughts tossed, will rise, then bounce and drift,
within the  rift of fear and dread
Webbed with soot, popcorn, and tunes of
long-lost schemes, long lost dreams

He watches those who never cross
an empty hallway, disturb his peace with knocks, 
or bells, or locks or smiles
Who never cross discord's threshold, 
hold a dish, lend a hand or take the chance to know such cold   

Wind whips the trees and claims his mind
and yells again to come outside
Sun's shaded by those leafless chances, slats that sever
all the dreams of ever after…
          ……and the wind screams stay inside


_____________________________________________________________________
For the contest: "Poe In Plath Style"
Sponsored By July Morning
2/11/18

Copyright © | Year Posted 2018




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Date: 3/15/2018 1:32:00 PM
Wonderful write, Carrie, congrats on a great win, worthy write...write on..we want more!!
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/16/2018 12:15:00 PM
Thank you very much for such encouragement, John !!
Date: 3/9/2018 7:43:00 PM
Congratulations on your excellent win, Carrie! Eve ~`*
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/9/2018 7:49:00 PM
Thank you very much Eve! It was an honor to follow just behind Leanne's wonderful portrayal !!
Date: 3/9/2018 2:21:00 PM
Carrie, if there's anything you have written that isn't "top drawer" I haven't read it---you're a natural at this art.
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/9/2018 7:43:00 PM
Thanks so much Craig, you are always generous to my poetry...and yes.....I will go back and re-edit the enjamed lines, which clearly shouldn't be halted by capital letters! I am always grateful for your encouragement :)
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Craig Cornish
Date: 3/9/2018 2:35:00 PM
The only minor thing here is that the auto-correct is capitalizing some of your enjambed lines and it appears you didn't want that----but who cares, it's awesome in any form.
Date: 3/9/2018 12:24:00 PM
Beyond gorgeous! Congrats on your fine win.
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/9/2018 7:43:00 PM
Thank you for much Dale..... I appreciate your kind words! :)
Date: 3/9/2018 12:19:00 PM
And congratulations you, Carrie. Such an excellent poem !!!
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/9/2018 7:44:00 PM
As was your own! Thank you, Mike !!
Date: 3/9/2018 12:15:00 PM
Congrats on your win, Carrie. Well done.
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/9/2018 7:44:00 PM
Thanks so much Line. You have been very kind to comment on so many of my poems ! Much appreciated !
Date: 3/9/2018 10:49:00 AM
awesome poem sweet Carrie! YOu really are one of the best in my eyes :) congrats : )-luloo
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Date: 2/12/2018 5:12:00 PM
out of mind.... a sad lonely figure of pensive fear you have explored, dear poet, this room had a feeling of cluttered paper and dust to it...good luck
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Carrie Richards
Date: 3/9/2018 7:48:00 PM
Thank you Frederic..... So nice to know you noticed the "feel" I was going for ! :) You are one who can see all the small things....It is obvious in everything you write ! :)
Date: 2/11/2018 7:17:00 PM
Great Poe-ish lines, Carrie! This really draws one into his paranoid world! Excellent! GL in the contest :)
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Carrie Richards
Date: 2/11/2018 7:41:00 PM
Thank you for stopping by my "out of mind" experience! LOL ! thank you Laura for your approval :)
Date: 2/11/2018 11:41:00 AM
Wow Carrie you combined the two styles very well... I have a feeling July morning will really like this one... The dark deep style of Poe is evident in this write... Nice to see you posting a bit more regularly..
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Carrie Richards
Date: 2/11/2018 1:06:00 PM
You have always been so generous with your comments, Silent One !! Thank you for such a warm welcome back :) !

Book: Reflection on the Important Things