Pages

Tuesday 19 October 2010

The Passion & The Pain: A Poem by Pete Marshall


The Passion & The Pain
by Pete Marshall


As fires drove an incessant burn
that pained the very  path of life
silhouettes flashed across the heart
and warmed themselves upon a knife
who’s hilt was jewelled with sapphire & pearl
and blade was tipped in purest gold
her breath blew air across its spine
as mercury dripped in eyes of coal


An image spurned in mirrored light
reflecting back upon his soul
as nights were dark the bed was cold
and earth was where she slivered home
the blade would shine and captivate
exploring eyes and pain alike
the pearl was smooth and creamy pale
but hard to touch in stubborn light


The sapphire burned upon a wound
that filled the room in crimson red
and spread across the unkempt sheets
and tore at flesh no longer dead
the air was breathed in gasps of joy
as earth lay fresh  upon the ground
the jewels were shared between two hearts
the blade lay spent within the mound


**************


Today I offer a symbolic tale of passion & pain, that so often comes together after emotions have run high, for One Shot Wednesday, part of One Stop Poetry, a great platform for poets from all over the world to unite, explore and promote poetry of all genres. One Shot opens tonight at 10pm UK time, 5pm EST 

72 comments:

Michael Perkins said...

Pete this is beautiful.

Maureen said...

Truly wonderful work, Pete. Imagery is vivid and full of flash and color, and you tell the story so well.

Claudia said...

the passion and the pain - wonder why they so often come together...beautiful poem pete..full of imagery

Brian Miller said...

nice. wonderful imagery pete...passion and pain are lovers themselves...each taking their nip and tuck at times...of course there is the sexual imagery of the knife as well...nice one shot!

anthonynorth said...

The imagery in this was marvellous.

Desert Rose said...

I love this Pete!wherever there is passion, there is always pain..Epic as usual poet..:)

Beachanny said...

I said I'd write comments today that I would want to hear but Pete, honestly,how does one have anything to say about your work but splendid, brilliant, beautiful, multi-layered leaving one breathless, and in awe.

Unknown said...

this had everything! Gorgeous imagery...the knife especially. Well written.

tuberider said...

Lots of imagery, felt very intense. Well done again.

Timoteo said...

Nice use of ambiguity with words like "mound." (Or is my naughty mind reading something into it?)

Steve Isaak said...

Dramatic, vivid, easy-to-follow "plot" and natural flow.

Steve Isaak said...

Dramatic, vivid, easy-to-follow "plot" and natural flow.

william manson said...

dramatic indeed, loved this pete ;)

Amanda said...

For some reason passion and pain always goes hand in hand...full of imagery so well crafted my friend. Wonderful One Shot Brava!!

GYPSYWOMAN said...

delicious - simply delicious!

Anonymous said...

Spectacular Pete, such is life, these contrasts between pain & passion. This was so beautifully done, and rather haunting in some manner of vivid historical impressions. Very engaging, stunning work! ~April :)

Janet Lingel Aldrich said...

Really beautiful imagery ... very evocative. Thank you!

Shell said...

"her breath blew air across its spine..." Vivid, intense, sensual and passionate. A masterful poem...I'm in awe.

~Shell

Myrna R. said...

Beautiful. I sense the passion and pain in your heart and familiar to all.

dustus said...

You told me your post for today was "good." Understatement of the year. A very telling poem with lyrical flair. Welcome back, Pete

dustus said...

Also, was just checking out your One Shot Archive. Be proud of those early posts, my friend :)

G-Man said...

The whole thing was a Jewell....

SuziCate said...

You are the master of poetic and passionate tales! Hats off!

Teresa said...

This was great. Incredible imagery!

River said...

Wow! I was captivated. :)

signed...bkm said...

beautiful rhythm and some wonderful images of the knife the "mercury dripped in eyes of coal" nice Peter you are a alchemist from a previous life -- were you a student of Merlin? ....I feel it in a lot of your writings....bkm

moondustwriter said...

Pete I have enjoyed your poetry since the beginning. You have hit a new hight with this. emotion and pain are on the forefront this Wednesday - glad I missed that memo

I am proud of your work my friend

Moonie smiles
did you know we have a competition closing on Friday??? Oh you do!!!

Marshy said...

thankyou for your comments everyone but yes i would like to add a footnote to this poem....with most of my work i like the initial impact of the poem to be easily understood but then the layers need to be explored....there is obvious sexual imagery in this piece but beyond that there is more...the two signs are gemini & virgo who's elements are air & earth..their stones are pearl & sapphire...mercury is heavily associated to both these signs..coal comes from the earth and so forth...this is just a snippet of its meaning which i hope helps the reader to explore the poem more...cheers Pete

Belinda said...

The blade of passion and pain. Wonderful work!

Susannah said...

I loved the line "as mercury dripped in eyes of coal".

This is wonderful writing!

Gigi Ann said...

I got lost in the Passion and the Pain. Silhouettes flashed across the heart and warmed themselves...

Christine Ramsay said...

This is quite breath taking. You paint such a vivid scene with your words. Well done.

Christine

Shashidhar Sharma said...

I enjoyed it throughly... your words like "The sapphire burned upon a wound
that filled the room in crimson red" took me to the next level of imagery... I enjoyed it so well...thanks for sharing...

ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/

Wysteria said...

Wonderful poem...

Exquisite!

Wysteria

Chris G. said...

Beautiful, beautiful, such imagery - and so vivid, so passionate. Marvelous construction.

Anonymous said...

passion and pain, sapphire and pearl... love the contrasts... so much color imagery with the gold-tipped knife, eyes of coal, and the crimson red blood... very visually alluring, with a feel of premodern times... enjoyed reading this very much.... glad you are back. :) heartspell

Asobime said...

Powerful, Powerful, Powerful imagery that made me fall right into it. Haunting.

Acid trip good stuff.....

Lady Nyo

PattiKen said...

This is a gorgeous piece, Pete, both in the flashing colorful images and the rhythm and pace the words have. Really great One Shot, my friend.

Anonymous said...

Wonderfully vivid imagery throughout

Anonymous said...

This offers so many layers of understanding, Pete. I think it's one I could read again and again and come away with something new each time.
Victoria

Anonymous said...

Not sure why exactly... The first two lines of each stanza really grab me. The whole piece is marvellous. Love and Light, Sender

Bubba said...

Nice One Shot, Pete... full of intriguing imagery.

Awdures said...

A totally orgasmic sumptuous experience! Delving into your poetry is like delving into an adventure. Passionate, amazing. I'm knackered now :) Excellent write!

Gabriela Abalo said...

Great one shot - talking of passion and pain - sister and brother ;)

thanks for stopping by my place

Maude Lynn said...

Really vivid and intense.

Mommy Emily said...

brilliant. i love this line: but hard to touch in stubborn light

... something about stubborn light...

you woo with your words, friend.

Ben Langhinrichs said...

Yowza! Way to make it hot and intense all together.

June_Butterfly said...

I read this one ever so slowly as to savour every word.I'm a gemini.And all my life I felt torn between two sides of me.

Passions and Pains.You can't appreciate passion without experiencing pain.A powerful mixture!Brilliant work.Was a pleasure reading it!

* said...

This is a marvel of a poem, deserving several readings to catch all the details. Fine One Shot!!

Helena Malheur said...

"the air was breathed in gasps of joy" beautifully written! full of vivid imagery... a pleasure to read.

Jerry said...

Now that is a well crafted lyric.
Splendid.

Scott said...

Wow. Pretty involved there. I need to go back and read it again. It reminded me of the combination of sex and violence. These things seem opposite (like pleasure and pain) but they also fit so well together. And you showed that in your piece.

KB said...

Wonderful imagery here.

One Photo said...

Very vivid imagery, weaving a torrid tale. I liked this very much.

Anonymous said...

symbolic, not so much... passionate? absolutely! V.cool!

Caty said...

Very beautiful, Pete!

Sheila said...

as with many of your writings, I find myself unable to grasp it intellectually at first, but my soul seems to know exactly what your words mean the first read through...this poem in particular bypassed my brain - and went straight to my heart.

Some say good poetry makes you think but for me great poetry makes me feel something without knowing why and this one did that just that. Awesome oneshot!

Sayandeep Kundu said...

The glare off your blade made me blind....
Brilliant stuff...
Regards~ Sayandeep

Shadiatique said...

I'm speechless, and fascinated to the max. Very very amazing peice.

Thanks for sharing... . S. Sharp.

Jhpoetry said...

Very visual and eloquently done. Great shot~~~~

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

simply beautiful.
love to see it burn in a favorable way.

Marshy said...

thanks to you all for your wonderful comments

RD said...

you cannot have one without the other...the subtleties are perfect

great to see your words again

Peace

Brian Miller said...

wow bro talk about a blast from the past...i am excited to see you around the pub...and on my bookshelf soon, right?

Anonymous said...

i have learned at my age to avoid passion because the pain just isn't worth it anymore.

Scarlet said...

I am glad you linked this up as your writing is beautiful and flowing. The imagery is gorgeous like fine wine on my lips ~

I love this ~

Beachanny said...

What I love about this is the power of your metaphors; your words, jewels on black velvet. Each thing of beauty calling up something cold, chilling, dying -- yet filled with a pure last breath. WOW!

Anonymous said...

new to me... wonderful choice of words and passion

Claudia said...

more than a year..still remembered it..and yes- the passion and the pain...still..

Kerry O'Connor said...

I'm a Gemini woman married to a Virgo man. Need I say more....?

Anonymous said...

Yes - a good allegory of passion - a timeless theme

cj Schlottman said...

Wonderful. You have a new follower. This piece has a sense of truth, and the cadence makes it flow down the page easily. Thanks.

Namaste..........cj