Scrape
Scrape
She had lips in her palms
and, as a result,
could not speak and do at once, and neither
very well,
and whenever she held hands with anyone,
they thought hers clammy
or kissing,
until sick of it,
she excised the lips,
stick too.
But then her palms held only
peeled throats (winnowing to wrists),
that, though speechless, gagged
so raucously, that she held her hands
to her sides at all times thereafter,
often as fists.
******************************
A poem of sorts in 80 words for Mama Zen’s prompt Words Count based on a film (Le Sang d’un Poete) by Jean Cocteau.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: Cocteau poem, hand railing a mouth poem, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, In a Scrape poem, lips in the hand, manicddaily, Surreal poem
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ManicDDaily 
September 12, 2015 at 1:19 am
I love how you took those disturbing lips and used them as a metaphor.. Silence or silenced, closed fists the signum,
September 12, 2015 at 7:26 am
A frightening series of images, as so often the surreal is, drawing as it does on the subconscious, its darkness and fears and the cruelty of the human condition, both given and received. The visuals are immediate and stark and the brevity makes for a lance-like impact, taking the message through in a piercing sort of way–as well as being very tactile,(I am seeing stigmata) with lips and stickiness and the closing off a fist always is–really a brilliant take, k.
September 12, 2015 at 9:23 am
Oooooh! That is creepy. I love it.
September 12, 2015 at 9:39 am
This is an excellent work of surrealism, Karin. I especially admire the second stanza. It is very well conceived.
September 12, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Thanks, Kerry. I so enjoyed yours. K.
September 12, 2015 at 2:16 pm
This is so good that I don’t even know where to start. The idea of lips on hands brings up all kinds of possibilities. Hands that close, dialogues being cancelled out, handshakes as forced silences… the list goes on. Thanks, I loved this.
Greetings from London.
September 12, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Hey Cubano! So nice to see you. I stopped by the other day and saw you were still on break. Glad that you are back. K.
September 12, 2015 at 4:46 pm
Yes, how awkward it would be and your closing is perfect, truly…fists. 🙂
September 13, 2015 at 12:49 am
Wow! I can’t choose a favorite part, because I love all of it, but I will say you wrote a killer ending.
September 16, 2015 at 1:52 am
elegantly surreal, and food for horror movies. Stephen King would be proud. ~
September 16, 2015 at 8:41 pm
At first, I imagined what her palm–her mouth–would feel like while she held hands with someone new, and felt terrible for her. Then I started thinking of people who must communicate using sigh language, and hoped… If they can do it, and their words are always silent, this speaker will probably find a way, too… The alternative is too sad… and a bit infuriating, too.