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Perfection, Perfectly

Perfection, Perfectly (A pantoum)

That thing hung over me
Like a musty old cloak
Grown heavy with hate moss
Dripping from its frayed edges

Like a musty old cloak
Warning me he was coming!
Dripping from its frayed edges
So I could be ready

Warning me he was coming
To serve perfection, perfectly
So I could be ready,
While walking on eggshells

To serve perfection, perfectly
I was shattered, but still whole
While walking on eggshells,
Dodging hurled glasses of iced tea

I was shattered, but still whole
Your lips pulled thin angry white
Dodging hurled glasses of iced tea
In the hell known as my life

Your lips pulled thin angry white
You made me so scared
In the hell known as my life
But I endured you

You made me so scared!
Now the cloak has been burned
But I endured you
My flesh survived

Now the cloak has been burned
Grown heavy with hate moss
My flesh survived
That thing hung over me

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Skat A Date: 1/13/2014 12:31:00 PM Tess, I am a less than perfect. One day I hope my hubby sees that. I wish to breath again, and stop serving him in an ideal way, that does not suit me. , Your first poem on the soup is excellent for the readers!! Stopping by with a nice, sweet Welcome to Poetry Soup. Wishing you the best when it comes to your poems. 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 like. I would like to be your newest poetry soup "FRIEND". Hugs* SKAT Login to Reply Tess Norton Date: 1/13/2014 2:06:00 PM Hi, Skat! Thanks for the lovely welcome! We are all less than perfect, my friend. Some of us are much less tolerant of imperfection, however. I was married for 32 years to such a person. I was forced to serve and given ultimatums daily...or suffer consequences of varying degrees of violence - to myself, or to things holding the most sentimental value for me. At last, I am free. :-) There is always light beyond the darkness.

Anne-Lise Andresen Date: 1/13/2014 4:53:00 AM - Warm welcome to PoetrySoup, Tess- I choose your first lovely poem and hope you will write many more in the future - Hope you will be satisfied with our "soup family" - we are many .. but has plenty of room for you too- PoetrySoup Rule1: Be kind and keep PoetrySoup a haven. PoetrySoup is a drama free zone(Comment on the poetry of others and they will comment on yours.) Thank you posted your words and thoughts here, I want to come back to read more another day. - oxox // Anne-Lise :) Login to Reply Tess Norton Date: 1/13/2014 11:50:00 AM Anne Lise, thank you very much! I am always writing, and am delighted to have found this community and look forward to sharing my work and enjoying other poets' work, and especially look forward to the inspiration and guidance I might get.

Poet Destroyer A Date: 1/13/2014 3:28:00 AM Tess, the imagery in the poem, became vividly my own. I sense a heavy rock was lifted once the cloak was set on fire..., well expressed.... , I like your first poetic piece on the site , A nice warm WELCOME to poetry soup. You will enjoy the community, we are one big happy family. (Drama & Love. LOL) ~ Take Care!! From: your new poet friend @-> LINDA <-@ Login to Reply Tess Norton Date: 1/13/2014 11:59:00 AM Linda, thanks a lot. There is a lot between the lines of that pantoum that is not expressed - that 'thing' was often the sound of the diesel engine of a Ford F250 as it paused just before it turned into my driveway - warning me he was home ... or it was the clock telling me he would soon be home and I'd better make sure dinner was ready - it was the thing that kept me alive and functioning. But it's no way to live.