Best My Heart Sank Poems
I'd married at 21 and moved overseas with my husband's work, so it had been many years since I had visited my gran at Rose Cottage. I was taken by surprise when I received a letter from her solicitor informing me of my inheritance. Her cottage had been vacated when she went into a care home, and sadly she passed away a few years later. Gran had been widowed at an early age so I’d never met grandpa. I was her only grandchild and had such fond memories of spending summer holidays with her.
ripe red strawberries
boiling in the copper pan
I label jam jars
When I pulled into the driveway I was shocked to see how dilapidated the cottage was. Green shutters were hanging off their hinges and paint was peeling from the window frames. I recalled the perfectly manicured lawns and cottage garden flowers which were gran’s pride and joy, now a forest of dandelions sprouted from the lawn and brambles snaked their way through the honeysuckle arch way. I picked my way through the vegetation which was covering the moss covered path and turned the key in the lock; the heavy oak door creaked like my arthritic joints. Gran’s cosy cottage had always been spick and span, but now every surface was covered with a layer of thick grey dust and lacy cobwebs hung from the black beams on all the ceilings. As I wandered through the empty rooms my footsteps echoed on the old pine floorboards which were littered with strips of wallpaper falling from the damp walls. My heart sank when I saw how much work was needed to restore and modernise the old stone cottage, but with time and effort and help from my family I’m determined to bring it back to its former glory
neglected cottage
in need of renovation
rambling roses bloom
Fiction poem for Thesaurus - Abandon or Abandoned Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Dear Heart
POEM AWARDED POEM OF THE DAY
06/14/20
I couldn’t understand the language she spoke,
at least not all of it,
but the emotion pouring past her lips,
the tears in her eyes, her clenched and shaking fists
enunciated more clearly,
than any piece of English Poetry I had ever read,
and grabbed me, held me still.
…In that moment, her soul was in my arms.
In that finite, tender breath of our lives,
she was my mother, my best friend…
but I could not console her.
I didn’t have the words;
and my heart sank into the
concrete between us,
wet with the pain of God’s rain
and her tears.
…Were my tears
So, I simply opened my palms
toward her crouched form and
spoke the only words I could
fathom, that would be accepted
by a stranger on a dangerous street.
"I am sorry, It will be okay. God will bless you."
I knew she did not understand…
"Lo siento"
“que va a estar bien”
“Dios te bendecira’ “
the words were as messy as the overturned
duffle bag at her feet…and fumbled, slowly
from my lips, as my knees hit the street.
Two strangers, cried in the rain,
knowing nothing of each other’s suffering,
and yet we shared the weight,
together, for those few moments;
the barrier of language was broken.
Love spoke for us.
-James Kelley 2014, All rights reserved.
…Love transcends any language
Sitting with her now
Watching
How did she get so old?
How did I get so old?
So many pills
Green, blue, white, red, yellow, orange
All kinds of shapes
Round, oval, oblong – big and small
A tackle box with markings
Monday through Sunday
We talk and laugh . . . then
A knock on the door!
I’ll get it
A police officer – young, clean shaven
As I open the door
I jokingly yell . . . He’s here to arrest you mom!
Sir, I do need to speak with your mother. . .
What, Oh . . . come in
Mrs. Meade, did you hit another car?
Her face showed confusion, concern . . . fear
With a trembling voice . . . No officer, I dd i d not
I followed the young man to the garage
A scrape, red paint, a missing mirror
My heart sank
Thinking to myself – is she lying?
Or does she not realize what she has done?
Does it matter?
The time has come . . .
As I hug this frail old woman
Shoulders shaking, tears soaking my shirt
I whisper in her ear
Do not fear . . . everything will be OK . . . . I love you
Standing there I realized
Our roles had changed
Come my darling
It is time for you to live with us
Happy Mother’s day
I do love you!
David Meade
May 10, 2015
Love Generously
When you kissed me
A fool fell in love
I became weak in the knees
The world revolved around your halo
Angel eyes captured my imagination
Like Einstein I discovered relativity
Wisdom had been my lonely pathway
Drunk on independent thought
Wondering if those lips would part for me
Wanting to breathe your breath
Gazing longingly
I looked towards you
So quickly
You looked away
my heart sank
When you kissed another boy
Don't forget to read it in reverse.
Reverse poem written for Craig Cornish's contest.
August 11/2013
My heart sank, her buttery sweet voice
summoning me to the front of the class
I stood there chalk in hand, with my shoulders slumped
The question she asked, for the answer she already knew
She chose not to teach, but rather to embarrass me
I was not a welcome guest, Hallowed Halls of learning didn't seem to fit
I stared emotionless at a blackboard covered in white chalk dust
Laughter filled the room until I could shrink no further
Oh how I wished I could disappear, escape to my place of daydreams
Then the teacher called on one of her special ones
The girl with perfect clothing, a perfect smile, she was the apple of teachers eye
That favoured girl removed the chalk and burden from my hand
Red faced, I returned slowly to my place of shame
I sat there in my wooden desk, with my blue eyes turned down
Perfectly put in my place at the head of the class!
For FJ's "Jaw Dropping Contest"
Let Your grace shower me with goodness,
As evil thoughts haunts me with madness.
Spirits encircle me, seeking my fall,
I hold on, searching for the angle of light.
I was brutally surpassed by an oblivious man,
Whose self-righteousness proved to be his only plan.
My heart sank and drowned in the darkness of evil might,
Torn apart, devastated, losing my crayon light.
Distractions, destruction, and devastation; I fight my fight,
Unable to keep winning, instead, whacked in my sight.
May I, grow wings, and glide through the storm ahead,
Fearless, frustration-free, and devoid of any dread.
Crown me, oh Lord, with the halo of Your grace,
Allowing Your blessings to bloom and flourish in this space.
On the spotlight, behind my shoulders, always be.
For without You, my life is futile and incomplete.
I need Your guidance, love, and mercy to navigate,
A true Agile to keep my path straight.
Insanity enters my distorted simple mind
To raise funds for charity for some unknown,
Impulsive, heroic, death defying, maligned
Save children or animals or even Sierra Leone
mind can do anything, though body unwilling
Something not to taxing, not energetic
Ruled out running, climbing, and no swimming
Beginning to feel a little pathetic,
Perhaps drive through the Sahara desert
Without knowing my destination no route,
Daft thoughts, my mind I need to reassert
Yes Jump out an airplane with a parachute.
I start training, how to fall to mother Earth
Without those possible leg injuries,
Begin to wonder what my life's worth
Could be my end, heavens inquiries,
Adrenaline flowing as entering airplane,
Over One thousand feet, ready, yet unwilling
No turning back, Am I brave, stupid, insane,
Will this end in sorrow or will it be thrilling,
Time has come I must jump, mind now blank,
I fall out legs kicking, wind rushing by,
Ninety seconds to Earth, a jolt my heart sank,
canopy had opened, I'm not going to die.
( I ripped three ligaments in my right foot
When landing wrong, Doctor advised not
To do this again, though I would love to)
Here I walk alone down a distant shore,
Watching the sunset, as clouds drift away,
With the hopes that our paths will cross once more.
My mind feels empty and my nerves feel sore,
Wishing to meet again some other day,
Here I walk alone down a distant shore.
Recalling how my heart sank to the floor,
Not knowing exactly what I should say,
With the hopes that our paths will cross once more.
You turned away, and then walked out the door,
Even after I had begged you to stay,
Here I walk alone down a distant shore.
I keep walking, my tears begin to pour,
Wondering what sort of price I must pay,
With the hopes that our paths will cross once more.
I remember promises we once swore,
And yet, you are not here with me today.
Here I walk alone down a distant shore,
With the hopes that our paths will cross once more.
© 2020
I have always loved you daddy and I always will
Even though its been 2 years I feel it stinging still
I miss your touch, your laugh, your hug
But what I miss the most of all is the warmth of your love
It is all the little things, that I miss the most
Like how you always smelled like grease, and that slight diesel note
All the happiness and all the joy came to a sudden stop
When that morning I was given news that your condition had horribly dropped
My heart sank and I began to cry we all knew it was the end
I wasn’t sure on where to turn I was going to lose a friend
He was my friend, my teacher, my father of course
And he was the root of all my knowledge; it was him that was the source
But he was so much more than that to me he was superman
So how could something like this happen through anything he could stand
All the things he taught me and all the things I knew
Could not prepare me even a bit for what we had to do
We made the decision to set you free to take away the pain
The doctors said you wouldn’t make it not even another day
So as I stood there and held your hand and told you it was ok
I knew that deep inside my heart I wanted you to stay
I grasped your hand and held you close and whispered in your ear
“I love you dad and I always will I’ll take care of things down here”
“Just let go I’ll take care of mom myself and even Bryan too”
I do believe this was the hardest thing I had to do
As you turned to look at me I knew what you would say
“I love you son and I always will and I’m proud of you this day”
Then you took your final breath and shed a single tear
Crying, and sobbing, and screams of why are all that I could hear
That was it and he was gone, I will never forget that day
I cant stop thinking about how I love him and wished he could’ve stayed
I wish he were here to see me grow up, and to hold his first grandchild
But most of all I wish he were here so I could see his smile
But I don’t give up and I stay strong because I know he is proud of me
And he’s no longer sick or in pain cause now he is set free
No more pain no more fear he is in a better place
But that doesn’t make me wish any less that I could still see his face
But now every morning when look in the mirror do you know what it is I see?
I see my father and that’s because his legacy lives through me
I had heard about a ...
a writer's group ... in my city
where a writer could recite their poem or short story
on a stage with an audience
I decided on a poem ... of my heritage
~ a feather lost, gliding and drifting, it soars
in the mighty wind, it twirls and swirls
once the 'People' owned all the wilderness ~
I was so nervous and trembled
for days I worked on memorizing the lines of my poem
making all my friends listen
over and over again speaking it to a mirror
with smiles .. and no smiles
~ there, upon a sheer jagged cliff an appaloosa
horse of many colors stands majestic
and this Ojibwe girl gazes under an azure sky ~
we had to listen to several talkers before my turn
they were so good that my heart sank
I would look like a fool ... to my friends
but when my name was announced
I gathered up my 'courage' and strength
and stepped ... on the stage ... standing silent for a moment
~ there, in the mighty wind that roars and howls
eagle feathers in my hair and on my horse flutter
and the vast lands of Canada seek the horizon ~
when I finished reciting my poem
there was a deafening quiet
the audience fallen silent
I take a breath and look around the room
oh, why were people so still ...
and then ... the sound of cheers ring out
and all the audience stands ... to clap
for this Ojibwe girl ...
~ there, above in that cloudless sky canopy
eagles fly ... symbolizing the spirit and strength of the 'People'
and the only sound ... those fluttering feathers in the wind ~
.. and a feather lost ... drifts into the audience
___________________
May 6, 2021
Poetry/Free Verse/the audience falls silent
Copyright Protected, ID 05-1352-902-06
All Rights Reserved, 2021, Constance La France
Written for the Premier contest, The Audience Falls Silent
sponsor, Kai Michael Neumann, Judged 06/02/2021
What's left of the crumbs, leave it to me.
His cries tore my ailing eardrums, my skin as blue as the calm of country nights
Then I sank under the mud of the battlefield, My heart sank like the stars of the raging galaxy, My wet hair and the mirror watching my majestic body, Save me under the scorching sun, Then it forms a roof of emeralds, And the bright lights of the stars blind my brown eyes, Then the moon caresses my soul, Loneliness gnaws at my chest, Where we? Do you even understand my words when I write to you? Or do you see it as beautiful to complicate the meanings?
My perfection blinded your accumulated heart with the fading colors of autumn
You were my dream, and I was your excuse, and your lips were wine, and I was addicted. So can I have another cup for this night?
My hair dances in the morning breeze, then I mention your name sprinkled with lilies of the valley, or iris, or a mixture of roses for touching you, in my dark fantasies under the veil of violet twilight, then you captivate me with the sparkle of your eyes, will you allow me to look at it hesitantly like a silent symphony?
Then I go and jump between the leaves of the sacred tree
and drink the nectar of dew drops as if it were from heaven
Upon my life, I do declare, my dear,
My Darling, Elizabeth, that I do
Love you from the depths of my soul to the
Greatest reach of my fingertips, from where
My boots tread, to the lengths my heart can reach.
My most Precious One, my heart sank like stone
Descending lost in murkiest shadows
With each tear coursing down your lovely cheeks.
I would never volitionally choose
To leave your side, for intertwin’d our souls
Remain. The Enemy charg’d, our line held,
Yet I took shrapnel in my chest. Still my
Fondest desire is to see your face
And kiss away your deep clouds of sorrow.
You send bolts through my skin
something I was never to
accomplish with you, when I
saw you it's like my heart sank
to my stomach and I was in
shock my body still my body
heavy felt like when I moved I
was about to fall to my knees
you make me want to get
inside my brain pick you up and
take you out pick you one by
one like a flower because I do
love you and love you not.
*Walking among the tombstones
*Conversing with the dead
*Alone, crying at a grave
*A woman on her knees, bowed was her head
*Her hair was dark
*Her eyes were too
*I couldn't help the strange feeling
*That this was a woman I knew
*As I approached
*I quaked with fear
*And in the blink of an eye
*The mysterious woman disappeared
*Curiosity got the best of me
*I threw caution to the wind
* What I saw at that stone
*I could not comprehend
*My breathing became erratic
*Tears fell from my eyes
*My heart sank
*As I read those lines
*Here lies Valerie
*Mother, daughter, sister, and wife
*Such a pity and a shame
*She took her own life
*Her mind and spirit broken
*Her heart was shattered
*So tired of being worthless
*To him not one moment together mattered
*Couldn't close her eyes
*Her nightmares carried her fears
* Suffocated by lies
*Drowned in her tears
*She could still feel his heart beat
* and hear his breath
* she still felt her hand on his face
* and his head collapsed on her chest
*She gave her last breath
*Praying and begging for one last kiss
*And to hear him say he loved her
* to feel the fire and emotions she had missed
*A love she once knew
*So real and rare
*So strong yet so frail
*Forever they were to share
*his promises were broken
*he chose a different life
* living for everyone else, without her
* he walked away and let her go and didn't even cry when she died
*My hands began to tremble
* What I began to realize, I just couldn't believe
*I had lost her so very long ago
*The woman who had vanished was the me I used to be...
Tonight I found a letter on my doormat
It was addressed to me – oh fancy that
I opened it and it does say
Please come for a mammogram one Monday
My heart sank like an enormous stone
With sinking spirits, I let out a huge moan
They take one of your very precious ‘norks’
Clamp it so hard your eyes pop out on stalks
Then leave you imprisoned and take a pic
Tell you it may be uncomfortable – just a little bit
They lied, they lied, they blooming lied
I found it so painful I could have cried
Oh joy of joys now they must do the other side
One boob squashed like a pancake, the other I want to hide
But they get you quick before you can escape
They need to scan both boobies there can be no mistake
Men and women can BOTH get breast cancer
Checking your breasts regularly is the answer
Jan Allison
15th September 2014