Ships Sink

by Melpomene   Aug 10, 2012


As a child I was fascinated by your back,
I saw your freckles as docks and my crayons
would sail between them, only on Thursdays.

I guess I thought I was a captain, five
and steering tugboats 'round the islands
of your shoulder blades, your spine was the
harbour bridge and Sydney was only as beautiful
as I could draw it. You never knew I wanted to
be an artist and so you gave me safety
scissors and smiled as I'd hack at your hair.

That was a long time ago.

I met a boy years later and he asked why
my skin shriveled at the sight of beer bottles,
and as a man he question why my nose
cowered at the scent. Since then I have been
breathing in the bruises that you left. I
deserted dresses for armour and
forgot what it was you once meant.

I'm not sure if you've noticed but
my eyes have been a destination for
shy compliments, they're as blue as the
harbour my boat once sailed, but they're
more yours than mine and my mind hates
those compliments because of you.

I guess I saw the way your eyes could go from
blue to grey quicker than the man I love
left me and I often ask myself if it was my fear
of you that made me bitter and did it
ever travel from my lips, to his heart,
through the air, to you?

I remember watching docks
sink, it was December.

I had never been more fascinated
by your back than I was that day,

You were gone.

Gone were the blushing stripes
on my mothers neck, the fear of sleepovers,
skipping home from school to battered
plaster and missing furniture.

All that remains is the fear of
loving someone
like you.

    report violation
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Latest Comments

  • 13 years ago

    by Amy

    Such a heartbreaking memory/experience. You penned it so flawlessly. Congratulations; I can clearly see why this won.

  • 13 years ago

    by Blissful

    Just from the poem I could tell this poem was going to have a feeling of sadness. Even
    though it was in the sad category, sometimes that isn't a clear representation that the poem is going to draw out the sadness in a reader as well...this poem did.

    They say that girls grow up to marry someone like their fathers and I could just see a little girl fighting that notion throughout this piece. Clawing at it and ripping it to shreds just so it doesn't ring true. Such a beautiful way you told this tale...I like the chronological feel you gave to it with the innocence of childhood and how this man impacted your life to the insecurities he instilled in you that you later saw in a lover. I loved how this was all laid out.

    This has to be one of the best poems I have read in a long while. You sure did tug on my heartstrings, girl!

  • 13 years ago

    by Nema

    Mel, this was one of the poems that made me feel like someone's irrigating my imagination. Vivid.
    The best thing about poetry is that when it's beautiful, it's beautiful without any other category like sad or heartbreaking. It's just beautiful, the way it is.

    Shine on love,
    N.

  • 13 years ago

    by Unknown

    First of all, congrats on the win. No doubt if I had read this earlier, I would have nominated it. I'm absolutely floored by how beautifully heartbreaking this is.

    First stanza: Absolutely wonderful imagery and metaphors. I assume "only on Thursdays" means that you only got to spend time with him on that day, you cherished that day as a child.

    Second: Oh, I won't even gush how much I love everything you've wrote here about. Talking about how he never knew you wanted to be an artist, I feel like he never truly gave you attention, never got to know you well so he didn't know you're dreams... he just kind of let you do things to "busy" yourself... which a lot of parents do. :/ I'm not sure if I'm interpreting that right, but it's how I see it.

    I'm going to skip the third stanza because it's just wonderful and I have nothing to comment on it.

    Fourth: You have his eyes and you absolutely loath it. Every compliment you get just brings back bitter memories of him.

    Fifth: I assume he was a "mean drunk" and when his eyes would change that means you better watch out, all hell is about to break loose.

    "quicker than the man I love left me" ... oh, my heart. </3

    The rest... oh my god. I have nothing to say but it's just perfection. It's flawless.

    I think with children that grow up in an abusive household that is a legitimate fear for them all. Falling in love with someone like their father and having to relive it all over again. It's hard to overcome that fear.

    This piece is going straight into my favorites!

  • 13 years ago

    by Poet on the Piano

    This has to be one of my very top favorites of yours Mel! You really made me speechless and I can't even begin to say how much your depth touched me...there were so many emotions, so much passion free flowing here, the story is just heart-rending that you tell. That fear at the end seems to pierce my thoughts...I can't even imagine how profound the hurt must be, to try and love someone that has left you like that.

    Beautiful beyond measure, your style is just so soulful.. Congrats on the win!! Couldn't think of any reason why this shouldn't be front page :)

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