time to unwind

the bluff is hollowed out
beneath my feet
etched into
an impossible sand-scoured design
that echoes with each crash of wave.
time has left me hollow—
a bloated fish-belly on the shore,
ready to explode
into a jangled mass of retching.

how can my guts unwind themselves
when a sea gull has twisted my liver
on his vibrating talons?
pause.
remember to breathe again.
lean against an ivy-covered wall,
and let the manic music of the day
relax its frenetic jangle
into a calmer tune.

watch at sunset,
rays of fire dance scarlet
over bone-cold black waters
and me.
in one sunlit beam,
dust motes dangle
for me to count—
one, ten,
two hundred seven—
lose track,
drift in a cloud of unconcern.

see.
the waves shine fire
upon the rocks—
a jagged stained-glass sculpture
collapsing into itself
over and again.
let it breathe with me.
fast comes twilight.
the sea dons its
deeply purpled mask—
let it soothe me into night.

line count: 40

Prompt ▼

Prompt for: Sept 25, 2015 (fyn) READ CAREFULLY!!!
Subject or Theme: STRESS! You must use FIVE (or more) of the TEN PHRASES below (exactly as they are listed) in your poem.
Phrases to Include: REMEMBER: Use 5 of the 10 at least! dance scarlet, bloated fish-belly, sand-scoured design, bone-cold black waters, jagged stained-glass, ivy-covered wall, deeply purpled mask, vibrating talons, manic music, dust motes dangle
Forbidden Word(s): stress, nerves, I, feel (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: free verse only, no rhyming, minimum of 24 lines
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description