Beat
A brown strip of leather, smoothed
on one side, cracked on the other
both from years of wear. Fold it,
in half, the cracked surfaces touching
your knuckles tight, the smooth leather
safe in your palm, the silver buckle in the other.
Snap the leather against itself. So loud
like the silence after words like kick, constrict--
the echo of that last syllable standing
in the back of your throat.
About Me
- Ruth Spalding
- I am a student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. I hope to write, write, write.
I think there are some words here you could cut to make it flow better - such as "both" - it would read better, "cracked on the other/ from years of wear". Similarly with "in half": Fold it/ the cracked surfaces touching". Overall, though, this is a very evocative poem.
ReplyDelete1. I'm really intrigued by the phrase "safe in your palm" in this poem, because there is simply nothing safe about it. It's contradictory, like the whole idea that violence ensures peace, safety.
ReplyDelete2. The final image is intense and unnerving, how it brings the violence around to language (or the lack of it). I think it could be stronger though: "syllable" just isn't the right word, but neither is "sound," I don't think, because it seems to be more about the impact, the harsh cutting off of air when tongue hits palate - a beating in its own sense. Maybe the parallel could be clearer?
keep writing.
ReplyDeleteFor me "safe in your palm" gives the aggressor the comfort of knowing he/she retains control. The brown strip of leather represents control on one side and oppression on the other. This is a very good write and writing is so therapeutic!
ReplyDeleteartistic piece.
ReplyDelete