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The Lie Once Spoken
by Alison McKenzieAs soon as I said it,
I knew it was a lie.
My vocal chords vibrated,
The words tumbled
Into the still, dark air,
Hung there, suspended,
And time slowed down,
The way it does during
A particularly tragic event;
I watched, helpless,
As they struck
Your ears,
Your heart,
Your smile.
My mind
Flailed, useless,
In an effort to
Call them back.
It was a monumental
Betrayal of self
Which issued
The death sentence
To us.
How was it only
One second prior,
That my heart and soul
Had believed with every fiber
What I thought was true?
Deadly is the tongue.
Sharper edges
Does no other weapon wield;
Which regret cannot unweave
The poison applied to the tip.
Woe to these lips,
Which ache, now,
To taste again
The tender refrain
Of your kiss,
Forever lost to
The chapters that
Must be written
To bring this life
To its end.
03/24/2012 Posted on 03/24/2012
Copyright © 2024 Alison McKenzie
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by George Hoerner on 03/24/12 at 04:21 PM Ah, lies always seem to come back to bite the person who pushed them into the air. I enjoyed this write lady. |
| Posted by Elizabeth Jill on 03/24/12 at 05:34 PM I can feel the trembling in my bones, so precisely you've managed to capture it. What a shaking earthquake a lie can make, especially when it is to a close close trusted friend. It happens, though. We are doomed to be human, after all. Great write. |
| Posted by Mo Couts on 03/25/12 at 10:50 PM Something that helps me stay 'balanced' is that every word we've ever spoken, lie or truth--is said b/c it needs to be. Something in our being needs it to be said. And here, your soul said something to us. You're purging away that lie once spoken and it's not such a sin b/c you know the truth. I'm so proud of you for this piece, Ali-girl. |
| Posted by Joe Cramer on 03/25/12 at 11:42 PM ... excellent..... |
| Posted by Shannon McEwen on 03/26/12 at 03:01 AM words have such power, there are many I wish I could take back, but once unleashed they remain forever in someone's memory. Good write. |
| Posted by Carl Walker on 04/01/12 at 05:17 AM I like it, am I wrong in thinking the "lie" was a harsh word to a close one? |
| Posted by Carolyn Coville on 02/22/13 at 04:19 AM The first half reads like helpless slow motion. My heart was heavy with anticipation throughout the rest. Nicely done! |
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