Opal Reflections
Perspectives through Prose, Poetry and Photography
Mask of Silence (Speakeasy #145)
“I have spent years chasing the tail of my darkness.”
I stay to know the man who I may, someday, be,
As if by writing in his book, I pen my destiny.I have spent years standing by his side (or just behind),
But turn my gaze away from fateful cards he plays,
As if his foes might read my tearless eyes and raise.I have spent years pretending to forget the child within,
Long-held, hidden, darkly recessed, in my sterile soul,
As if I could (his moonlit madness, long ago) control.I have spent years masking grief with veils of grit and grime,
I know my place and dare not raise my head to see,
As if by facing him, I’d face my mother’s misery.I have spent years spinning in the squirrel cage of my mind,
Running fast in stagnant place, but never making ground,
As if eternity will wait until he’s gone; my chains unbound.
This is my response to the Speakeasy weekly writing prompt, which is to write a piece in 750 words or less, using “I have spent years chasing the tail of my darkness.” as the first sentence, and making reference to the art prompt, “The Card Players”, one of a series of paintings by Paul Cézanne. I chose to write in the first person, as the boy in the background of the painting.
The challenge is open to anyone, so if you’re inspired, click the badge above to check out the challenge details! On Tuesday, the challenge opens up to post links to our stories.
18 Comments on “Mask of Silence (Speakeasy #145)”
I'd appreciate your feedback (Please, leave a comment)!
Lighthouse in the Mist, Cape May, NJ
Bandit
Festive View from the Pub, Peddler’s Village – Lahaska, PA.
Home Sweet Home
Opal Reflections 
Great job building a poem out of the prompt. I always want to do that but never have the guts 🙂
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Thanks, Esther. The prompt was challenging, but it was fun working it up into a poem.
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Wow, what a beautifully crafted poem, Joanne! It’s so nice to see you at the Speakeasy! 🙂
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Thanks, Suzanne.
I’m happy to have found the Speakeasy, and I appreciate your kind comment.
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I have never been so good at poetry and sometimes it won;t always make sense. But this is not one of those times, which I credit to your ability.
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Joe,
I appreciate the positive feedback. Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting.
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A heart wrenching poem written so beautifully…Still caught up in the beauty of words 🙂 LOVED it .
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Thank you, Lala.
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This is so beautifully written, but so sad to feel trapped in the shadow of his father.
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Thank you, Janna. The required first line was a tough one for me, but it certainly was an inspiration.
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Love the poem! And this is a great line: “As if eternity will wait until he’s gone; my chains unbound.”
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Thank you. This was an enjoyable, if challenging prompt.
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You are a talented poet. Great read!
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Thank you.
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What a wonderful poem with very intelligent and beautiful rhymes.
Funny, it seems everyone so far is writing about the boy!
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Yes – that is interesting. I think he appears to have some kind of hidden story. Thank you for your comment and for taking time to read my piece. I found this challenge to be thought provoking (and fun).
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Great use of the prompt!
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Thank you!
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