Stone chested,
I have faced more years than you
and still have not aged a day.
Despite elemental trickery,
the weather has yet to score me smooth
and there are no laughter creases
to mark me out as old.
I have never laughed you see,
at least not while you have watched.
I have passed the centuries
and they have passed me,
and very little has been worth talk,
and all my talk seems little worthwhile
when you and your kind wander
between what is left of myself
and my brothers,
just sitting here in a abandoned place,
no longer considered abandoned
but no longer a place to call home
but a place to see one or twice
before it has been seen and done,
you have bought the t-shirt
and I am of no more concern.
Poem for the poetics night prompt over at D Verse Poets Pub.
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Published by Carol J Forrester
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019.
She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can.
Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears.
She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works.
View all posts by Carol J Forrester
I love the way this spills, Carol, and the way it leads down to the photo of the sculpture, instead of offering it first. I was intrigued, and wondering (wandering toward) what I would see. Which feels just perfect, for the voice you’ve evoked here. Love it.
Yes, the voice here is just right and complements the photo of the statue perfectly. It did indeed feel like a journey towards it.
…the weather has yet to score me smooth… A wonderful take on the etching of time that occurs on the human face…but this on stone. And the ending — abandoned but not…you have bought the tee shirt and I am no longer of concern. Thinking as the voice, you wear me but do not. I am etched atop your heart on this cloth, but I am not inside.
Oh I just keep thinking on this….very well done. Love this take on the prompt!
Something really sad about eternity… the unchanging stone… yes I can see how we just move by… significantly insignificant
This is such a striking piece 😀 loved it!!
I love this. My favorite lines are: “I have never laughed you see, / at least not while you have watched.” Makes me wonder what statues do when we’re not looking. I also love that t-shirt at the end. Isn’t that the way of tourists? We go see the great ruins and historical sites, get our souvenir, and are on our way again.
I ws touched by these lines: I have passed the centuries
and they have passed me,
and very little has been worth talk,
Maybe eternity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I like the reference to buying the t-shirt and going on your way while there they “live” on no one giving them much thought. Wonderful piece!
I love the phrase ‘elemental trickery’. You have captured the feeling of abandonment so well.
the musing of the forlorn soul touches deeply…
Sculptures as witness to mankind’s follies! Lovely piece!
Interesting perspective here..very well done!
To see and pass all those centuries, without laughing, but sitting abandoned is a sad lot of a watcher. I enjoyed the different perspective.
why do i like the casual aside, “you have bought the t-shirt?” i just do
Well done!
Wonderful. I could feel the resentment and longing in the thoughts of the sculpture.
I especially like what you did here…”I have passed the centuries and they have passed me,
and very little has been worth talk and all my talk seems little worthwhile”
Hey! I nominated you for a Liebster Blogger Award 🙂 Here’s the post https://wordsmithobservations.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/liebster-blogger-award-2/
Thank you, and thank you very much for the lovely comment. 🙂
No problem 🙂