Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Skin You Don't Know (reposted from 09/2012)



The Skin You Don’t Know
By
Lisa A.Williams


Wear it gently-

feel its familiar sheath-

Hold
 the one it was born to,

in all its keloidal ache

and

need.

Savor timeless

brine

trickling down crimson faces

burnt by enduring

winds.

Wear it

until it molds to the shape

of all

it must embrace.

31 comments:

  1. One has to find a way to be comfortable in one's skin...somehow. That is the message I got from your poem, Lisa.

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  2. the constancy of change and redefining yourself

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  3. the more I read this, the more it seems to me a beautifully worded question, a meditation if you will. Greatly enjoyed its openness and its clear-sightedness.

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  4. Great poem - especially the last four lines.

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  5. this says a lot about how much we don't really know about ourselves


    quickening of the chakras

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  6. Wow, Lisa. Very cool piece. Just perfect.

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  7. "Keloidal ache and need"... amazing phrase. I relate to this as a 53-year old woman ever-learning to make peace with a body that serves well, yet ages. Your brevity shouts impact off the page.

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  8. Succinct and packed with meaning! Just how I like my poems!

    The River

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  9. Lisa, in a handful of words, you convey the importance of the largest organ in our bodies... our skin. The embrace is what it's all about, sister, and I loved this so much! Amy

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  10. This is very thought-provoking. Sometimes we seem at odds with ourselves - this speaks of acceptance.

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  11. This reminds me of my mother. She had the softest skin on her hands. Grandkids, and great grandkids, loved to snuggle up with her and run their own hands over hers. She always told them the softness was from the hand lotion she used every single day. I thought of her when I hit the line about embracing ones own skin, she did every single day.

    Elizabeth

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  12. Neat and crisp one, Lisa. In just a few words, you've captured a lot! A riveting piece!! Loved this!

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  13. Nice!
    The total experience of one's lifetime shows in the face. . . no matter how old one is.

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  14. What a poignant write. I love these lines especially:

    feel its familiar sheath-
    Hold
    the one it was born to,
    in all its keloidal ache
    and
    need.

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  15. Some scars are hard to embrace, but their embrace is healing. Love the timeless brine, made me think of tears as the primordial soup.

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  16. Absolutely breathtaking. Really love this one.

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