Do Not Disturb

[Hawkman]

Do not wake the sleeper,
let him dream a while,
the memories of love
which graced his life.
So while he’s in repose
just watch him smile.

Let him feel the plangent memory
of a melting kiss,
the way her long-lashed violet eyes
would close and smile, together with her lips,
the sweetness of her breath
that bathed him it its scent,
the touch of skin on skin,
its warmth conducted deep within
to thaw and ease a troubled heart.

That slender body close against his own,
their mutual contours fitting
as two halves of one,
a perfect sum.

Then, when he wakes,
as eventually he must,
cover all the mirrors
so he cannot see the scars,
the bandages with tell-tale tints
of rust. And if you have to leave,
then softly close the door
and hang the sign,
let no one tell him that she’s gone;
there’ll be time for that anon.

[dafydd manton]

An incredible Tragedy, Hawk. Very very powerful indeed, It seems that today everybody is writing stuff that plays the devil with the emotions!! It was all so beautiful, then BANG! You feel for the poor lad! Thanks.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Incredibly moving, both in the content and in the decorous unfolding of it.


as two halves of one,
a perfect sum.


This, I anticipate, will strike some as a cliche, at least the first line might but the quiet second line raises it out of that category for me.

[hillwalker]

Astounding, Hawk. Written with such gentle emotion that almost bleeds off the page/screen. Breath-taking.

[Hawkman]

Dafydd, thank'ee sir, glad you found it moving. then again, he could have been driving...

Thanks Prince. Yes, perhaps your right about the cliched nature of the first part of that line, but cliches are powerful tools. They communicate ideas quickly to the reader. Either way, I'm pleased that you consider the second half of the line moderates it. Also that you too find it decorously moving, (an elegent phrase in its own right).

hill, do you really think it's breathtaking? Gosh I hope so and from you I take that as serious appreciation, so thanks very much to you and to prince and dafydd too.

Live and be well, H

[Jerrybaldy]

Hi Hawk
glad you mentioned driving, as a road crash occured to me. I think it may have been the rust on the bandages, if that was the intent. I often fail to fathom so felt very pleased with my self :) Which only added to my pleasure in reading. Thought the ending was particularly beautiful.
cheers
JB

[Delta40]

what a tragic tale. how awful of you to lighten one's heart so the heaviness is much more marked! excellent effect.

[Hawkman]

Hi JB. It was always in my mind that the sleeper may have been in a motoring accident and the driver when the incident occured, with the poem is set in the hospital afterwards. but the rust stains were just a way of describing dried blood on the dressings. Very gratified that you enjoyed it, so thanks for reading and posting your comment.

Hi D40 thanks for reading and appreciating the poem.

Live long and Prosper. H

[Jerrybaldy]

Hi Hawk. I thought the rust may just be the colour of blood, yet it led me to a car crash scenario. You unwittingly led me to your thoughts. Or maybe we are just on the same wave length. Should we have a civil service or such like ?

[Hawkman]

The freemasonry of poetry covers all. It's the rolled up trouserleg, bared breast and dagger and the rope round the neck that get to me :D but you put up with all that rubbish and then they take your hood off and as a newly iniated member of the cogniscenti you are hauled from the ranks of the knowlessmen and catapulted into the light.

So welcome to the Illuminati old chum :D

[Jerrybaldy]

Thank you Hawk (funny handshake, some religous stuff, a certain way of shaking it dry) I feel a part of something.