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napalm.

a poem of haunting

By Poppy Published 6 months ago 1 min read
napalm.
Photo by Thomas Griesbeck on Unsplash

You were the flames

That lapped at my skin

Melting flesh and bone

But now I am the ash

Catching on every breeze

Clogging your lungs

I will be the smudge

Of graphite on paper

After you have taken

An eraser to our story

I will be the ghost

Sitting in the corner booth

Of the cafe we’d always visit

The silhouette

Always in the corner

Of your eye

I will be the shadow

Of the past that

Ruthlessly haunts you

The memories that

Stick in your head

Like napalm

I will be the blood

On your hands that

You scrub and scrub at

Never able to get clean of me

❀❀❀❀❀

Reminder: My challenge closes on the 20th!

For more poems like this one, check out the one below:

Find my poetry book “Wasted Love” here.

sad poetryFriendshipFree Versefact or fiction

About the Creator

Poppy

‘Wasted Love' available to purchase here in paperback and eBook format.

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Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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Comments (12)

  • Real Poetic5 months ago

    "The silhouette Always in the corner Of your eye" Nice poem Poppy!

  • This was so good. The visceral rawness of the emotion I will be the blood on your hands that you scrub and scrub at never be able to get clean of me This image really stuck with me.

  • So vividly portrayed. "The silhouette Always in the corner Of your eye". Hope you both have clear vision soon... a fresh start with other wonderful people!

  • Kenny Penn6 months ago

    Absolutely fantastic piece, Poppy! The imagery here is almost visceral, I loved it

  • Cathy holmes6 months ago

    This is such a powerful piece. Excellent work.

  • Absolutely gorgeous. Each description is more visceral and raw than the last. The transition between "melting flesh and bone" to ash, "Catching on every breeze/Clogging your lungs," is powerful. Awesome poem!

  • G. A. Botero6 months ago

    What a great piece. I especially loved "But now I am the ash Catching on every breeze Clogging your lungs" Cough cough - so powerful.

  • I will be the smudge Of graphite on paper After you have taken An eraser to our story This stanza was my favourite! I was like "Whoaaaaaa!!!" I will be the ghost Sitting in the corner booth Of the cafe we’d always visit This stanza reminded me of Taylor Swift's Right Where You Left Me! "Help, I'm still at the restaurant Still sitting in a corner I haunt" I damn freaking loved your poem so much!

  • C. Rommial Butler6 months ago

    The heart is sometimes a chamber that echoes mournful cries. Well-wrought!

  • Words I find to be powerfully true when anyone attempts to eviscerate the story two have shared. Powerfully evocative. More weighty than a gypsy's curse.

  • Suze Kay6 months ago

    Vivid words with a real punch behind them here, Poppy! Beautiful work.

  • L.C. Schäfer6 months ago

    Living in his head rent free - THIS IS THE WAY

Poppy  Written by Poppy

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