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Return To Sender

The wind is bickering with the night
My poor house caught up in the middle
Pawing and retreating then pouncing like a cat
It drums at the windows and
Haunts a ricochet around the room
Of some rendez-vous echo where
The downtrodden beat downward
Into my valley, the new address of Lillith
Or Hydra, the war waging outside
Breaking careful silence like a train
Chuffing me slowly away with
The cars zooming in the wayside
Burnt out, the relay challenging
Me to find my own way into sleep
Depravation or a Concentration Camp
A womb must sound like this
Haunted and forboding. But, what foetus
Could ever know much better
Than to be scared out of new skin?
Calling for Hercules or a prescription
Some tablets and a glass of gin
To wipe away the world
Reentering anonymity and concentration
Camping myself in the ocean, a bag
For the dead, that little gold fish
Floating around within the carrier
Tonight, I sleep in the womb

Copyright © | Year Posted 2009




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Date: 5/25/2009 12:49:00 PM
Beautiful piece! Good write. - eduardo
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Date: 2/16/2009 6:54:00 PM
Nathaniel, very interesting poem! I, too, have slept "in the womb." You might enjoy "Breaking." There's an apparent link to your poem. Best wishes, Carolyn
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Date: 1/29/2009 11:09:00 AM
I love the start to this poem; especially the imagery...its striking. Welldone, Louis
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Date: 1/29/2009 9:51:00 AM
Congratulations on your lovely poetry being featured this week..God Bless you and best wishes to you in your writing*Tyesha
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Date: 1/28/2009 5:28:00 AM
Congratulations on your poetry being chosen to feature this week. May you have many more excellent poems featured. Love, Carol
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Date: 1/27/2009 5:45:00 AM
Congratulations on your wonderful featured write of the week! Love, Shar
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Date: 1/26/2009 10:42:00 AM
Congrats Nathaniel on the featuring of "Return To Sender." Vince
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Date: 1/25/2009 4:36:00 PM
Interesting use of imagery and personification. Much for the reader to ponder. Congratulations on having your poem featured. Best wishes with your writing. Karen
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Date: 1/25/2009 1:11:00 PM
Excellent writing, Nathan! You have a gift, unusual style, captivating! Congratulations on this poem being featured this week. ~ Carrie
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Date: 1/16/2009 7:32:00 AM
Marvelous imagery and rich, descriptive language... you have a rare talent my friend! Best wishes, Keith (PS Please take a look at 'Nightscapes' if you have time... it's a tribute to T.S. Eliot.) Thanks!
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Date: 1/15/2009 2:43:00 PM
loved the title as well the poetry and the story just reads so well too. enjoyed reading it and have a great day.
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Date: 1/15/2009 12:38:00 PM
This is so deep, and so emotional, it reminds me of war, a war where so much is being destroyed all around you, while you seek shelter from harm...trying to have a life as the bitterness falls around your home....I love this, a sad write, but a wonderful write...always, Christy
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Date: 1/15/2009 12:26:00 PM
Wow, strage imagery, course you can only write what you think it would be like. amaizing write, origional, interesting, I enjoyed reading, good work, keep writting.
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