http://puddleshark.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] puddleshark.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] greatpoetry2010-10-06 07:51 am
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In the stump of the old tree...

In the stump of the old tree, where the heart has rotted out, there is a hole the length of a man's arm, and a dank pool at the bottom of it where the rain gathers, and the old leaves turn into lacy skeletons. But do not put your hand down to see, because

in the stumps of old trees, where the hearts have rotted out, there are holes the length of a man's arm, and dank pools at the bottom where the rain gathers and old leaves turn to lace, and the beak of a dead bird gapes like a trap. But do not put your hand down to see, because

in the stumps of old trees with rotten hearts, where the rain gathers and the laced leaves and the dead bird like a trap, there are holes the length of a man's arm, and in every crevice of the rotten wood grow weasel's eyes like molluscs, their lids open and shut with the tide. But do not put your hand down to see, because

in the stumps of old trees where the rain gathers and the trapped leaves and the beak and the laced weasel's eyes, there are holes the length of a man's arm, and at the bottom a sodden bible written in the language of rooks. But do not put your hand down to see, because

in the stumps of old trees where the hearts have rotted out there are holes the length of a man's arm where the weasels are trapped and the letters of the rook language are laced on the sodden leaves, and at the bottom there is a man's arm. But do not put your hand down to see, because

in the stumps of old trees where the hearts have rotted out there are deep holes and dank pools where the rain gathers, and if you ever put your hand down to see, you can wipe it in the sharp grass till it bleeds, but you'll never want to eat with it again.

Hugh Sykes-Davies

[identity profile] mad-bertha.livejournal.com 2010-10-06 08:27 am (UTC)(link)
I really enjoyed this, the creepiness, the variations and that ending.

[identity profile] skonen-blades.livejournal.com 2010-10-06 08:39 am (UTC)(link)
Very evocative. I like the repeating motif and I like that it just keeps getting darker until it ends in a black place indeed. Cool poem.

[identity profile] elnigma.livejournal.com 2010-10-06 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I liked this
ext_359900: (tv: theadmiral)

[identity profile] stripedheartx.livejournal.com 2010-10-06 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Very creepy and autumn-ish, thank you for sharing.

[identity profile] scribbled-mess.livejournal.com 2010-10-06 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
very cleverly written poem. Expected a creepier ending tho'.

[identity profile] mariashes.livejournal.com 2010-10-07 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
Liked it a lot.

:)

[identity profile] jesuslovesbono.livejournal.com 2010-10-08 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
But do not put your hand down to see, because

you cannot see with your hand, but with your eyes.

[identity profile] gh0stmeat.livejournal.com 2010-10-10 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Well done!