Plumbed
Plumbed
There’s a leak in my consciousness
where the heavy flows go,
the bury ‘em and the can’t-
bear-it–
the swirled sediment of this world
(as I take it in.)
Until that gelid effluence, trapped
in the elbow of heart,
swells beyond pool,
and every pipe, full to bursting,
breaks into a fugue of requiem–
Slowly the overflow
is over, the roar absorbed
into a sussurus
of sad here now.
It is just the way it is
for some,
the tune borne,
the one they were born
to whistle.
*************************
A poem for Play It Again, Sam on With Real Toads, hosted by the wonderful Margaret Bednar (with pictures by her talented daughter–this is not one.) The prompt I have used was one about figurative language.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry
Tags: elbow of the heart, extra credit for sussurus, figurative piped poetry, fugue of requiem, manicddaily, never could whistle very well, plumbed
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ManicDDaily 
May 24, 2014 at 6:42 pm
This one is fantastic!
May 24, 2014 at 7:00 pm
cool use of words….sussurus and fugue…in one poem…and gellid…ha…i like how you used the pipes and references in this…
May 24, 2014 at 8:03 pm
a leak in my consciousness. Ha! This is clever and yes, extra credit for hard words 🙂
May 24, 2014 at 10:35 pm
I especially like the first stanza. So much truth in the last one.
May 25, 2014 at 12:38 am
There is a limit what a human can bear inside.. The metaphors are carried out most effectively.. Combining sussurus with plumbing is very effective.
May 25, 2014 at 1:27 am
that is very visible indeed….a leak in my consciousness… really cool use of words k. – and there’s only so much one can carry…
May 25, 2014 at 1:57 am
love the layered words woven so tight…” every pipe, full to bursting,
/ breaks into a fugue of requiem”..my favorite lines…
May 25, 2014 at 2:31 am
Your comparison is all the stronger for being an unusual one. I especially enjoyed your word choice, so rich and varied, and the progression of grief as through the waste water pipe.
May 25, 2014 at 6:51 am
I love how you can turn the pipe into poetic inspiration ~ The overflow, the susurus, sadness of here now – Amazing K ~
May 25, 2014 at 9:26 am
Nice use of language. I think I learned a few words here!
May 25, 2014 at 12:34 pm
Figurative certainly, but also graceful, lyric and lush.. I love ‘gellid effluence,” for instance, and of course, ‘fugue of requiem,’ not to mention the final lines which seem to have both perfect balance and symbolic force, like a ballerina in a classic toe stand becomes the swan. You are writing like fire, k. and this one burns even through a liquid steam of emotion.
May 25, 2014 at 8:53 pm
thanks–I realize my grammar-punctuation-capitalization kind of wacky but haven’t been able to go back to it. k.
May 25, 2014 at 11:34 pm
Happy Memorial Weekend, thanks for visiting…
you rock.
May 26, 2014 at 1:12 pm
This is a “jazzy” poem. That’s my take on it, anyway.
Greetings from London.