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| Ophelia by Odilion Redon |
Hanging on a thin cusp of exhaustion
I stand in the middle of Epcot
waiting for the show’s next act-
my skin baking in the summer sun,
lips drier than a shriveled grape.
I dare not move or else I’ll touch
the other sweaty bodies surrounding me
crammed in tighter than college students
on a wild Spring Break beach.
And suddenly I’m sitting on a sandy towel
waiting for another beer I sent that jerk to find,
the bass beats blaring BA-Bum, BA-Bum
so loud I feel them in my heart-
snapshots of utter chaos I’d rather not relive,
the hopeless years wasted searching for myself
in a frothy mug of oblivion, self-centered fear.
I turn my head to Mickey Mouse and smile-
the crowd and heat a sober treat.
©laurie kolp
Prompt inspirations:
The Sunday Whirl, wordle 63- skin, lips, thin, snapshots, touch, other, act, hanging, gesture, stand, sent, utter
50 comments:
There is nothing like reflection to wake us up to the joy of the present moment. LoL This is good Laurie. I so enjoyed the read!
Sometimes when we've been through our own personal kind of hell, the present seems a so much better place to be eh Laurie.
Very real and very vivid write from you once again.
You nailed it ;)
oy so this is what i have to look forward to...smiles...love the turn personal...and your not wanting to relive that...there are def chapters i dont want to touch again...
I was sweating and feeling claustrophobic myself just reading it. Smiles....that's the best, ending my own panic!!!
First of all, unless you and Hannah Gosselin are one and the same, it's interesting how your were on the same page with the cool picture...interesting....
And, I can so relate to the utter chaos, the hopeless years wasted, and the frothy mug....I thank god every day for the life I now have...Now sober, I sure do smile more....just because..
Your second stanza managed to make me feel claustrophobic! :) LOL
well-written. I like self-centered fear, very perceptive.
I did not gain such insight from Disney last summer. Glad that you did. This was a delightful read. It's amazing what being a parent does to help us find ourselves.
Richard
I enjoyed reading this--I could feel your Epicot fatique! And the reflection too. Good use of the wordle words.
Great juxtaposition of then and now. I'm glad that where you're at is a good place. :o)
Nice triple combo Laurie...
I can feel this one - terrific use of the prompts.
Intersting. I feel the truth of it.
The disney adventure sounds like a nightmare! Great weaving of all the promts.
Laurie, perfect description of a Disney adventure. My daughter used to make me take her there every year while she was growing up. I also enjoyed the reminiscing in this.
Pamela
Isn't it amazing what we learn while living our lives? We all have places somewhere in the past that remind us of how much better right now can be and is. Really like what you did with the wordle words.
Elizabeth
A thoughtful and beautifully crafted wander away from the prompt we can all relate to. Sometimes I wonder if 'the hopeless years wasted searching for myself' could have been avoided if I had been educated with truth instead of the myths and lies of God and Santa that I needed to work through at such cost.
Hi Laurie, glad you survived Disney with this poem! Nice twist at the end.
Laurie, you have written of my struggle. I've stayed on the sidelines far too long, "hopeless years wasted." Now, though, I am finally writing, finally seeking instead of stagnating, finally living. You are an incredible writer.
Emma
You painted a very clear photo in that one! I could almost smell the perspiration around me! Well done!
Ophelia in a Disney moment..very interesting Laurie!
I love the way your seperate memories touch, and come together..this has a real pulse to it..reality!!
I visited Epcot and Disneyworld on that same trip eons ago - I wonder how much has changed.
'bass beats blaring BA-Bum, BA-Bum'
Nice alliteration and love the sounds that add to your piece.
Laurie,
There is so much to see at the Epcot Center.The summer heat and the throng of Summer vacation students however can be stressful. That's when more time spent at extra long queues meant less time to cover as many shows. The Disney shows at the Magic Kingdom was a welcome respite. Wonderful read!
Hank
It's always interesting that in the midst of chaos, you can find a little center of calm...
I felt like I was right there with you.
gritty, vivid and very well crafted.good to see you Laurie.
Laurie, you nailed this so beautifully! Heat, long lines, grabbing all the patience you can, Disney world imagery --- a unique, well-crafted work!
Laurie - what a magnificent write. I was so taken with:
'searching for myself
in a frothy mug of oblivion'
Great 'before and after' poem, Laurie--lots of emotion, shown not just said.
love this, so present one moment & the easy way we're slipped into the past... & you for me too here (better, i think, than i could):
"snapshots of utter chaos I’d rather not relive,
the hopeless years wasted searching for myself
in a frothy mug of oblivion, self-centered fear."
you speak for me too, i meant to say
I so totally get this.
...one can in fact find one's self in the randomness and obscurity of chaos... enjoyed this Laurie...
Perspective, if only…excellent poem.
Ah yes, the instant flashback.
Well done!
=)
Wonderful, sensitive write, Laurie! Sometimes our memories of the good old days are not good!
When we look back, it makes us grateful for the present moment, hey kiddo? I love the moment of transcendence and calm, in the midst of the crowd.
I suppose the fantasy world of Disney is better than the fantasy of youthful angst, but, um, not much. Especially not under the hot summer sun packed in with other seekers of their own fantasies.
Combining all of those prompts so beautifully ~~ epic! As a former resident of Orlando (8 years) and a frequent WDW visitor (job related) .. I can honestly say it's OK if I don't get back for a while.
OMG...pardon the text slang, but how good was the description in this. I was living it and felt that odd sort of displacement that is so prevalent when unsure of what our place in this world really is. Wonderful poem Laurie...much enjoyed.
that's so funny, Epcot, and having another Beer, and the boom of the band, and Micky, great depiction of the event
<a href="http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/where-are-the-koi/>where are the koi</a>
I have relived some hellish moments of my own...this is a poem of remembering and gratitude for having made it through...Mickey seems to have put it all into perspective~
For a moment I thought I was reliving my own nightmare... I am a Disney World survivor... :)
This is what I get for dragging my feet in posting my own wordle...I'm SO late to the party! ;)
I loved the play on words with "sober treat" in contrast to the beer on the beach. Nice!
i've been to Disney many times and reading this made me feel like i was there again
Excellently crafted wisdom.
Anna :o]
Ah but i wouldnt have missed those wild times for quids !
I myself have gotten to dislike crowds of any kind. Going to Hersey Park for the day was even too much. The occasional Hockey game with nose bleed seats and a chair only big enough for a five year old - all those under 10 should have been left at home... Disney...one year a silent Goofy scared the begeebers out of a little boy, while trying to be friendly. There has got to better ways to entertain our adult selves. I enjoyed the mini-relapse of my own days that will now go back into hiding.
My verse is here:
http://julesgemsandstuff.blogspot.com/2012/07/sw-wordle-63-wedded-bliss.html
i know the feeling of those wasted years! i could feel the heat...
great poem, Laurie!
♥
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