Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Imagining Chains


He escapes,
shakes loose
the chains of iron.
Key clicks,
locks open;
anklets fall
away;
stain of metal
and dirt
and bruises
wash away,
wash clean;
soreness
rubs into
softness.
Circular band
of memory
tightens around
his head;
chains
of imagining
weigh more.

The poem is being sumbitted for One Shot Wednesday at One Stop Poetry. To see more poems, please visit the site. The links will be live at 4 p.m. U.S. central time today.

Photograph: Chain Link by Peter Griffin via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

26 comments:

Maureen said...

Though physical scars may heal, inability to forget - those "chains/of imagining" - stays with us, keeps us anchored to the past, becomes the far greater burden, the lock on the mind.

Bob Spencer said...

I like. I really like the way your very short lines, one or two words, form a kind of chain in themselves. An appropriate choice, and well done. I know it's not always easy to make language fit into that kind of structure without mangling things. Again, very well done.

JofIndia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jerry said...

The way I interpreted this was the imagining chains were tight because real freedom is so foriegn to those who have been bound for a long time. Freedom is scarey and to imagine a life outside of that freedom becomes shackles. Great write Glynn. The comments so far are interesting as well.

Jerry said...

Sorry Glynn...what I meant was imagining life outside the shackles become shackles sometimes.
Some have to grow in the process of freedom...

Glynn said...

And there was a typo at the beginning of line 4 - or actually a missing letter. Thanks for the heads up, JofIndia.

Louise Gallagher said...

Your words cut deep and hold me in their thrall.

Unknown said...

This made me think of how some elephants wear a chain that they could break in an instant, but they don't.........

Unknown said...

A lot of warrior poets on the loose today! Terrific dude!

Anonymous said...

So much truth in this. Thank you, Glynn. Love it.

Anonymous said...

away!
wash away!
wash clean...

i like that part

and oh how true
those chains
of memory
not so easily shed

ya know
the word chains
reminds me of that song
chain chain chain
chain of fools

Anonymous said...

aretha knows
how to sing it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmYWGjFFs4k&feature=related

Michael said...

This one hit hard this morning when I read it.

Anonymous said...

Amazing images, feeling chained and anchored and unable to be free. I think we may have all felt this at one time or another.

Thank you Glynn, lovely bed time reading

Anonymous said...

Tight poem. Good job.

Laura said...

tender...and hopeful too.

hedgewitch said...

Excellent use of short declarative words and phrases to knock home the truth in the last lines. Good one.

Laura said...

I agree with Bob...the form of the poem was a visual of its content for me. Very freeing, and I feel this sense of relief at the end.

Brian Miller said...

some shackles are hard to find release from...but there are ways...

signed...bkm said...

Chains of imagining weigh more...yes it is our imaginings that weigh us so to this world and its worries...nice write Glynn...bkm

Beachanny said...

I think you have tapped into one of the truisms of human consciousness and its coping mechanisms. Well done and insightful write.

Bubba said...

Mental chains are the hardest to escape. Nice One Shot, Glynn!

Claudia said...

such deep and true words glynn..

Belinda Munoz said...

I love how effectively this moves from bleak to hopeful.

Corbie said...

I loved it Glynn. Metal chains, pretty much the only way to escape is to be released. After so much time there are scars still remaining. Perfect One Shot!

dustus said...

Reminds me of William Blake's line about "mind-forged manacles." Mental chains, especially ones that come around in a "circular bend" are torture to many experiencing the worst of it. I'm amazed at how much is said in the use of short lines. Cheers