A wave of effervesce arrests her
after hearing their cheers and applause
a shadow walks in from the sidelines
but no one but she appears to pause
the next moment she stands petrified
her jaw slackens and hangs
how long has he been watching
why doesn’t someone give a harangue
could it be she only imagines him
no one waves or even precludes
the ladies around her stand waiting
for her– her speech to conclude
she readies her lips for the next words
but a frozen crypt, her lips remain
she parts her lips, but this time,
is like waiting for molasses to drain
alas! she seems to remember
what the doctor said in the void —
full of arse; no heart had that doctor–
a few months is all she has, said Freud
she pushes away from the podium
glances down at her feet of lead
swollen and red, her ankles –they
used to itch, she’d scratch ’till they bled
but now they’re a bittersweet irony
she was once as nimble as a colt–
the glory then, the nightmare ever
he re-animates her lightning bolt
© 2023 selmamartin.com
Hello, everyone, and Happy New Year. This“noivous” poem is about a vision inspired by a bad dream for the prompt by Ingrid at dVerse poetics: Visionary Poetry. Blessings to all.
Image by Richard Reid from Pixabay
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Wow…. that is really scary for a dream, Selma…
Oy Vey! 😱
<3
David
A bad dream. Scares me too.
You conjure this nightmare vision of stage fright so well Selma. But I love how the heroine gains strength from the experience at the end!
Glad you liked the ending. I had to rework that to the way I envisioned a better ending. 😜 freedom to decide the ending. Thanks so dearly. Bless you. Great prompt. Xoxo
A very evocative poem Selma.
Pleased you liked it, Sadje. Blessings on your evening.
Thanks 🙏🏼
Vivid! I could fully picture that dream and the strength of the character. Well done.
Thanks, friend. Dreams are mirrors of fear based thoughts.
“Heal my fear based thoughts”
Bless you. 💗
Those nightmares do get under our skin…(K)
Under our skin. Yes. Be gone!!
I do remember having so much stage fright, until one day I simply ceased to be afraid. Maybe realizing that it was easier to act than to be myself.
Like fake it till you make it. A great shift. Thanks for reading. Bless you.
This is so poignant ~ I especially resonate with; “she readies her lips for the next words but a frozen crypt, her lips remain.”
Frozen crypt— paralysis!!
Thanks for reading Sanaa. Bless you.
Fantastic flow and detail – you brought us into your dream.
Hope it didn’t scare you too much, my lovely. Blessing you. Xoxo
No worries: it was intriguing. Thank you, Selma. You’re a sweet soul. 💖
Stage fright is the number one fear of everyone! You express it so well in this nightmarish vision.