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Lonely Scratches
Penciled etchings scratch the paint
once a wish for what could be
now damnation for the one
condemned by wishes before their time
boasting years far in advance
the goals extolled a fantasy
creatures thought to fly to peaks
instead walk the earth with clay feet
consider giants that cannot stand
when the landscape is nightmare’s realm
all will crawl when the path
spirals downward instead of up
imaginations of one sad mind
demanding more with every inch
ticking off the fevered goals
creating hells with every year
those heights attained by progenies
where Dad’s boasts ascribe his place
leaving failures to reconcile
lonely scratches instead of love.
© 2018. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20181115.
once a wish for what could be
now damnation for the one
condemned by wishes before their time
boasting years far in advance
the goals extolled a fantasy
creatures thought to fly to peaks
instead walk the earth with clay feet
consider giants that cannot stand
when the landscape is nightmare’s realm
all will crawl when the path
spirals downward instead of up
imaginations of one sad mind
demanding more with every inch
ticking off the fevered goals
creating hells with every year
those heights attained by progenies
where Dad’s boasts ascribe his place
leaving failures to reconcile
lonely scratches instead of love.
© 2018. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20181115.
Published 16th Nov 2018
Author's Note
The poem “Lonely Scratches” was prompted by the line "In my heart I know I failed you, but you left me here alone" in the song “Remember Everything” by Five Finger Death Punch.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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The author encourages honest critique.
16th Nov 2018 3:11am
16th Nov 2018 10:23am
I'll give you a clue on how to read the poem. The pencil scratchings refer to lines on a wall or door that indicate how tall a person is every year. Normally these are drawn as the child grows. The poem supposes that the father drew these ahead of time, mapping out the growth of the child.
16th Nov 2018 3:53am
16th Nov 2018 10:23am
