“Resentment – the Terrible Spites”
Resentment – The Terrible Spites
You can die by inches
as well as
feet. You can die even
by centimeters.
When you swallow
a sword, the trim blade’s
width can slice ribbed
gullet, currette deep
gorge, and spike all that climbs up
from that crooked choke
with bile. Take care, take
care; if you would not fall/
gall/gash yourself again, you must learn
to digest cold steel.
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Here’s a draft poem which is my very late (and rather grim) offering for dVerse Poets Pub’s Open Link Night, hosted by the wonderful Natasha Head. I am also linking to Imperfect Prose (though it’s not prose) hosted by Emily Wierenga.
Check out dVerse for great online poetry, and check out my books: Poetry, GOING ON SOMEWHERE, (by Karin Gustafson, illustrated by Diana Barco). 1 Mississippi -counting book for lovers of rivers, light and pachyderms, or Nose Dive, a very fun novel that is perfect for a pool or beachside escape. Nose Dive is available on Kindle for just 99 cents!
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: dVerse Poets OLN, manicddaily, Poem about resentful, poem about sword swallowing, poem about tempering spite, temper temper, the Blue Meanies
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ManicDDaily 
September 25, 2012 at 8:21 pm
I hear you! Resentment can eat a person alive. And yes, I think sometimes a person must learn to digest cold steel for one’s own good, as the alternative is bleak!
September 25, 2012 at 9:42 pm
a tough lesson to learn
but when explained with a sword in the throat
i’m all ears and tonsils
and tears
😀
September 25, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Oh my goodness, Aaron – your comment is more poetic than my poem! k.
September 25, 2012 at 9:48 pm
ugh…one reason i gave up sword swallowing at a young age…smiles…resentment though will tear you up…and spill out into everything…hard stuff…
September 25, 2012 at 9:55 pm
Sorry! I’m really tired today so kind of grim! k.
September 25, 2012 at 10:16 pm
reminds me of the Scripture about ‘not letting a root of bitterness take hold.’ “It’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” they say.
hmmmmm….keep it far away from me Lord. Grim but spot on Karin.
September 25, 2012 at 10:19 pm
Thanks, Jody, for your wise words. K.
September 25, 2012 at 10:28 pm
oooh, are you warming up for Halloween? Seriously, this one cuts, really cuts right in. Resentment is painfully powerful. cold steel. so very perfect. curette – i had to look it up- is a gorgeous word.
September 25, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Ha! Thanks. No, I’m just a bit tired. Not thinking of Halloween yet! k.
September 25, 2012 at 10:39 pm
A very tight write for resentment. It has an edge!
September 25, 2012 at 11:13 pm
ugh…grim write indeed k. – hope things brighten up soon for you..and yeah…sometimes it’s just centimeters or even millimeters..
September 26, 2012 at 7:13 am
Thanks – it’s not really autobiographical! Though I certainly know the feelings. But thanks, Claudia. I am hoping to have some kind of break soon from work, but not quite sure when that will be!
September 25, 2012 at 11:45 pm
grim but true…must learn to digest cold steel….very taut, very sharp…enjoyed it much..thanks..
September 25, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Loving the ‘grimness’ ~ coldly dark
September 26, 2012 at 2:18 am
outstanding. Love the atmosphere, the lines, the language used and the placement of the phrasing. Great read. Thanks
September 26, 2012 at 2:30 am
Powerful words.
September 26, 2012 at 4:16 am
lol! its grim alright… but I like! 🙂
September 26, 2012 at 7:10 am
Ouch, that would be sharp and hurt coming out haha, but yeah have to learn to stomach it and keep on going.
September 26, 2012 at 7:12 am
Ha! Yes.
September 26, 2012 at 7:16 am
Resentment is a poison that destroys….
September 26, 2012 at 8:10 am
My first thought was..its perfect for Halloween ~
Resentment in the form of sword or cold blade ~ I like it K ~
September 26, 2012 at 8:12 am
Thanks. So interesting. k.
September 26, 2012 at 9:19 am
Yes, resentment allows the the resented to continue controlling the resented. Sometimes it’s best to swallow hard and move on. And grim is okay
September 26, 2012 at 11:08 am
Thanks, Steve. k.
September 26, 2012 at 10:58 am
Sometimes grim is just realistic. It’s valuable to me that the poem internalizes the pain and not externalizes it–comes to grips with it, even if that means cutting deep into the fingers(or gullet.) An especially wise offering, k.
September 26, 2012 at 11:00 am
Thanks so much. So nice to hear from you and hope you are resting up, or at least clearing away some of what accumulates with a steady pace of posts. For me, it’s a bit like amyloid plaque! That never shows in any of your work, but I hope you are having a nice break. k.
September 26, 2012 at 11:16 am
Laughing at the plaque! It is indeed insidious. I’m mostly just tired, and as you know, there’s a good tired, when you write almost automagically, and a bad tired, when you don’t care if you ever write again–this one is sort of in between. But I am really enjoying the break, and getting some things done on other fronts. I would never be too tired to read your poetry though, I hope.
September 26, 2012 at 11:27 am
Ha, thanks! k.
September 26, 2012 at 11:15 am
Sagacious and engaging work, one I will come back to.
September 26, 2012 at 11:28 am
Thanks, Anna. k.
September 26, 2012 at 11:53 am
Karin, you have defined resentment all too well here. Dark, but engaging write.
Pamela
September 26, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Thanks, Pamela. k.
September 26, 2012 at 11:56 am
First of all, wish my drafts were half this good. Secondly, yikes – this the best description of resentment I’ve ever heard. It does cut out our insides. Don’t want to swallow that knife.
September 26, 2012 at 12:01 pm
No! Thanks, Myrna. k.
September 26, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Nourishing resentment, un-forgiveness are definitely self-destructive. Well-expressed, Karin.
September 26, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Thanks, Victoria! Hope you are well! k.
September 26, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I like the idea of internalizing steel. I could use a steel gut these days. Haven’t sorted why I’ve had gi problems for a year..tests yield nought – diagnosis is nerves, anxiety. Probly just old age, I’m guessing! I like the metaphoric use of this. Sharp and properly angled.
September 26, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Thanks. And now to unasked-for medical advice: I am close to people who’ve had to give up gluten and found that it made a huge difference digestively. They had eaten it for years with no problems and did not think of it as an issue, but found that it really helped with this type of thing! So sorry that you have discomfort. k.
September 26, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Morbid and garish–I rather like this nicely woven little tale. Would not want to be swallowing anything that sharp, whether literal or figurative! Well penned.
September 26, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Thanks, Ginny. k.
September 26, 2012 at 2:08 pm
F**kin love this! Some real bite here Karin! But a good message…anger/spite can come back to bite you…to cut the hand that wields the sword….I know it well…this is a BEAUT!!!!!
September 26, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Ha! Thanks, Stu. k.
September 26, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Yes, the discomfort — why does one do it? Such awful suffering to self. Very well expressed in the poem.
September 26, 2012 at 6:34 pm
“You can die by inches” – honest, true, grit spoken here.
September 26, 2012 at 11:42 pm
i love the gentle yet firm caution, “take care, take care”…
September 27, 2012 at 8:10 am
your topic rings the bell loudly to too many.
powerful talent.
September 27, 2012 at 10:41 am
Wow, I love this poem! I also have swallowed that sword before, but hope never to do it again.
September 28, 2012 at 12:20 am
Resentment aint no picnic basket . It’s like picking up a hot prong intending to clobber the person over the head but ur skin in burning away while the person is not arriving at all ;having fun wherever it is they are. This was nice.