Sylvia Plath, Why I Killed My Self

I left the kettle hissing,
A blue serpent coiling in the kitchen.
The window’s breath was winter—
It kissed me cold, a mother I never had.

I was a bone in the mouth of the world,
Gnawed down to a pale thought.
The mirror grew teeth—
It ate my face

The room was quiet as paper,
Holding its breath for the pen.
Ink pooled in the corners
Like milk left too long.

The hours no longer spoke—
They only stared,
Thin and pale as candles
Waiting for a match.

My hands folded themselves
As if in prayer,
But the prayer was a stone,
And it would not float.

Some doors open inward,
Others open nowhere.
I found the one
That would not close again.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

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Fleming Avatar
August 3, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Remarkably good! Deserves a wider audience. A really good attempt at addressing a subject that was more complex than Quantum Mechanics. Enjoyed! :) john
Mclain Avatar
August 4, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Thank you John, for some reason I'm drawn to these women that took their own lives. I hope that I'm not too morbid, l.o.l. Rejection and love seem to be the trademark in these unfortunate lives. Again thank you, James
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