Words Hurt More Than Stones

angst settles in
within the cracks
of darkness
as night falls
beneath the lunar rise
of crescent moon
its lackluster glow
reflects upon the lake
in the swirls of cat's-paw
as i cast stones
at mind's haunts
in hopes
to slake pain
as it falls
like soft rain

fulgurant memories
beneath thunder
of emotions
slam against me
in stolid thoughts
while i try to weather the storm
as it falls within
again and again

i see you there
momentarily
and feel the lash 
of your tongue
in unconscious frames
of mind

i am tethered
on the edge
of night's breath
as it mists
through my pores
and day's break
as i bleed its dawn
in the folds of my flesh

i awake
unsettled
in the angst
of yesteryear's pain
as it echoes
within my mind
                               again
                                     and
                                        again
                                             before
                                                    fading
                                                               out

8/12/2019

Writing Challenge 1, August 2019 - Just Write - Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Dear Heart
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

Poem

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Krutsinger Avatar
August 17, 2019 at 9:11 AM
Congratulations on your win. I liked the way you typed out "again and again and again" letting it drag like a tail, for it is a tail some drag behind them not for mere days, but for years.....
Adams Avatar
August 17, 2019 at 8:42 PM
Thank you. When you live it over and over again it lingers on and on Hugs
Allison Avatar
August 15, 2019 at 11:44 AM
words can be as painful as physical violence its just the scars are deep within the heart and can't be seen - powerfully penned Sandra, congrats on your win:-) hugs jan xx
Adams Avatar
August 15, 2019 at 3:34 PM
Thank you Jan...i agree...it scars the heart and mind and people cannot see the damage...even when you think you have forgotten the damage it resurfaces... hugs :)
Hamilton Avatar
August 14, 2019 at 4:32 PM
Another write and another win, looks like you've got your groove back, your muse is obviously on cruise control, congrats on a fine write and win!
Adams Avatar
August 14, 2019 at 7:06 PM
Thank you John....she is here for now...my schedule is getting crazier now so hopefully she keeps the momentum going.... hugs :)
Proxenos Avatar
August 14, 2019 at 9:09 AM
Words cut into our hearts and once said, cannot be retracted or forgotten - a breathtaking poem and a truly deserved win - congratulations Sandra. Hugs, Jennifer.
Adams Avatar
August 14, 2019 at 7:04 PM
Thank you....have heard it said before 3 things in life you can't recover...words one spoke, time once spent and a rock once thrown.... hugs :) hope to see more of your poems soon!
Andresen Avatar
August 14, 2019 at 4:14 AM
- And these stones is difficult and swallow - A great poem ... but deeply painful, Sandra - Congratulations on your win, well deserving :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)
Adams Avatar
August 14, 2019 at 7:03 PM
Thank you Anne-Lise....some people don't think before they speak, thus they can hurt others pretty bad.... :) hugs
Messina Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 6:03 AM
Yes sometimes words are harder than stones and they hurt even more. Lovely write Sandra...Best of luck in the contest. Hugs Charlie
Adams Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 11:50 AM
I agree, they hurt , or leave a mark much longer than a stone....thank you...it took a tied first spot :) hugs
Cunningham Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 2:49 AM
They say words can't hurt but they do. Once spoken they are there forever. Congratulations on your win. Tom
Adams Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 11:49 AM
a stone may leave a welt or break a bone but once healed usually forgotten, words though can haunt forever...thanks for the visit and comment :) hugs
Mathis Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 11:42 PM
Ooooohh this is so good! I felt this one for sure. I like how you interpreted this pain. It had so many layers and I personally related to every verse. So powerful. Thank you for sharing!
Adams Avatar
August 13, 2019 at 11:47 AM
Thank you....sometimes pain has a good way of sneaking into the poems but it seems to help soothe the mind for a bit :)
La France Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 7:28 PM
Sandra congratulations on your win in my writing challenge with this excellent poem
Adams Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 8:10 PM
Thank you so much for the honor of a win and for hosting such wonderful contests :) hugs
Mcgee Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 7:03 PM
I have felt that pain...a great write and congrats on your win.
Adams Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 8:10 PM
Thank you so much....this piece just made it in time for the contest end :) hugs
De Beaulieu Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 6:12 PM
Hello Sandra Adams, oh-yes, words hurt. The wrong words can tear you apart until you break down and cry. yes the wrong words can hurt. Have a nice evening my friend.
Adams Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 8:12 PM
Thank you Darlene...i agree, sometimes they hurt much more than a stone, although we were always taught that words could never hurt us as kids.... hugs :)
Scars Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 6:06 PM
amazing sweet Sandra! You hold a true gift in that pen of yours, congrats :) -luloo
Adams Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 8:13 PM
Wow, thank you for the compliment...my muse woke me at midnight, i don't know if i was dreaming of a write or if she was singing, but when i got up with it fresh in my mind it vanished, then this came out later.... hugs :)
Wolf Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 1:15 PM
Like your title: Words hurt (so) much more than stones, but not to forget that stones do hurt. By inference, words... Best of luck in the contest! :) gwK
Adams Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 3:40 PM
Thanks Gershon, they seem to hurt more because they echo on and on in a mind once damage is done :) hugs
Cornish Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 12:18 PM
More proof of your mastery of word and thought and you made me look up a couple words!---fulgurant & slake. You present the pain like water torture, persistent and numbing. I read 3 times, each time something new.
Adams Avatar
August 12, 2019 at 3:37 PM
Thank you Craig....i guess that means that my pain was evident to the reader...this one needed to come out, my muse woke me at midnight, unsettled but i couldn't remember a word i arose to...hugs :)
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