The Sick Child-Edvard Munch

THE SICK CHILD-EDVARD MUNCH

Ghostly downpour upon not the sick,
but the sick at heart - a child’s mother.
Bittersweet tangle of red - patient’s hair,
dresser, caretaker’s hands. Bedside
manner, sorrowful to the point of death,
but the woman is not literally dying,
her daughter is. Steadfast bravery
warm blanket hue of hunter-green,
orange and blue. The girl’s mother
already draped in a dreary raven habit.
The sick room is passionate - lucky girl
is blessed. She is not alone until
her soul departs. Her mother will live
with a solitary soul-sucking pit, deep
inside of her residual days, memories
tucked away from all her friends, for
she will dread the fire of life - the source
that lit her lamp with strawberry hair,
freckled windsong, a swinging pendulum.
The sick child, already in the light;
despair has a screaming voice,
perceived in claustrophobic space.
One is lightened by breathlessness;
the other is lightened by a broken heart.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023



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Date: 7/20/2023 10:04:00 AM
Kim, your interpretation of this poem relives heartbreak and truly "sucks" the life from my heartbeat! So well written! Congratulations on your win. Blessings!
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 7/21/2023 5:27:00 AM
Thank you so much, Sam! I haven’t lived this but I know a family who lost their 5 year old to the effects of radiation (for cancer). I knew a little about heartbreak from losing my mom. Be blessed, dear friend!
Date: 7/14/2023 6:31:00 PM
"Her mother will live with a solitary soul-sucking pit, deep inside of her residual days, memories" - True. A very beautiful writing. Congratulations!
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 7/14/2023 8:15:00 PM
Thank you, Christuraj!
Date: 7/14/2023 2:39:00 PM
Kim, what a heartbreaking poem of a mom caring for her dying daughter. “Her mother will live with a solitary soul-sucking pit, deep inside of her residual days, memories tucked away from all her friends, for she will dread the fire of life...” Congratulations on your placement in Dilly Dally’s contest.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 7/14/2023 8:17:00 PM
Thank you, Mark!
Date: 7/14/2023 2:15:00 PM
Congratulations, Kim. Sad, but your interpretation is stunning!
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 7/14/2023 8:17:00 PM
Thank you, Mala!
Date: 6/29/2023 11:51:00 AM
Gorgeous writing, Kim!! I love the beginning and ending lines; you do well!
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/29/2023 2:56:00 PM
Thank you, Paige!
Date: 6/27/2023 1:09:00 PM
Excellent interpretation of it, Kim. Love the clarity of your language.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/27/2023 3:54:00 PM
Thank you, Andrea! I appreciate that!
Date: 6/27/2023 12:19:00 PM
An exceedingly fine poem, on a parent's saddest hour. Kim, you've done an amazing job with your portrayal of the painting. Blessings
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/27/2023 3:55:00 PM
Thank you very much, my friend! Blessings!
Date: 6/27/2023 8:51:00 AM
The pathetic situation of the ailing child is heart stirringly brought out. More than the ailing child, the one who deserves our sympathy is the grieving mother bent low with the weight of grief. In a way the child is lucky as she is not left alone. " One is lightened by breathlessness; the other is lightened by a broken heart" The concluding lines stand apart. A beautiful poetic presentation of the painting, dear Kim.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/27/2023 3:56:00 PM
Thank you very much, Valsa!
Date: 6/26/2023 6:12:00 AM
Kim, your work is truly a masterpiece, exhibiting a seamless cadence that resonates with profound sagacity. Within this poetic composition, you eloquently express a depth of emotional anguish that profoundly resonates within me. The indescribable sorrow that accompanies an ailing child is an unparalleled torment. Your words have stirred my soul!
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/27/2023 4:01:00 PM
How do I express my appreciation to you, my friend…thank you so much!
Date: 6/26/2023 5:52:00 AM
Well, having done medical transport, and practically lived in many aftercare homes and hospital corridors for many years, I can relate. A sick child is the worst heartache. Stirring write! Hope all is well with you and yours.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/27/2023 4:00:00 PM
Sighing with your experience…must have been difficult. Thank you, Joe.
Date: 6/25/2023 11:16:00 PM
My dear Kim, I always like your poems but this is a masterpiece. We both know what death brings (I often think of your father who lost his wife). A poem so full of emotional grief I can relate to. My sister died young too, about twelve but many years ago. She was an angel like my wife.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 6/26/2023 5:14:00 AM
Thank you, dear Victor! So sorry for your loss…that too is a sad one. Hugs ~ Kim
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