| Author | Message | ||
| M. Kathryn Black
Senior Member Username: kathryn Post Number: 2722 Registered: 09-2002 |
From an Un-named Pond There are secret animal ways to the pond if you don’t mind a wall of thorns to lean away from, or a tunnel of thatch to crouch under before we pass the reeds and cat-tails. Here the water is tame though it is full of fecund life–tadpoles enjoying their liquid existence, and plants, plants, dragonflies. We sit on a patch of white sand and watch. When we return at the end of summer we cry. I tell you the one image that stays with me is the brother who shot his sister in the head for a bag of ice. The crickets are never silenced. (c)2005 (Message edited by Kathryn on September 13, 2005) | ||
| Anastacia Donovan
Member Username: sulis Post Number: 89 Registered: 03-2002 |
So eerie it makes me cringe. Very Poe-ish. | ||
| Penelope
Valued Member Username: penelope Post Number: 194 Registered: 07-2005 |
Kathryn, this was masterful. It dropped me to my knees. You subtly prepared us for the ending but let the full weight of it fall without mercy. Stark truth to the technique. This will be with me for awhile. Penelope | ||
| Gary Blankenship
Senior Member Username: garyb Post Number: 4786 Registered: 07-2001 |
Kathryn, such a surprise the end and shot for the ice. Works well. Very Kathryn and that is a good thing. existence, and plants, plants, dragonflies. Only one plant, maybe a frog. Thanks. Gary (Message edited by garyb on September 13, 2005) The new, August FireWeed is ready for you to read. Go in through http://www.mindfirerenew.com/ to get to the issue in a click or two. | ||
| Teresa White
Member Username: teresa_white Post Number: 60 Registered: 01-2005 |
Kathryn, Bravo! for a wonderful piece of writing. Your powerful ending really "makes" this poem for me --didn't see it coming. Only suggestion I have is this: Here the water is tame though [it is] full of fecund life– Not sure you really need "it is" here. Thanks for posting! Teresa | ||
| M
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 5216 Registered: 11-1998 |
A really great piece of work, Kathryn. Like Teresa, I was not expecting that ending. In fact, I had to go back and read it again just to make sure I read it right the first time. What a wallop! | ||
| LJ Cohen
Moderator Username: ljc Post Number: 2902 Registered: 07-2002 |
Kathryn, A strong read. One thought (though this may have been intentional foreshadowing), the plant is actually just a cat-tail. The Cat-o-nine-tails is a whip. best, ljc http://ljcbluemuse.blogspot.com/ | ||
| M. Kathryn Black
Senior Member Username: kathryn Post Number: 2723 Registered: 09-2002 |
Anastacia, I don't mind being compared to Poe at all; thankyou! Penelope, I'm pleased it had the desired effect. I just can't get that out of my mind. I keep wanting to intervene, though it's long over. Thanks. Gary, well, I like to repeat certain words for emphasis. I'll probably keep doing it, too. Thanks for saying it's very Kathryn. Teresa, thanks for the kudos and the suggestion. M, that's sort of how the news hit me and I wanted to recreate it for the reader. Thanks. Lisa, you're right (I checked), so I'll have to change that. Funny, where we lived we always called them that, a regional thing I guess. Thanks. My best to everyone, Kathryn | ||
| Emusing
Moderator Username: emusing Post Number: 1764 Registered: 08-2003 |
Very chilling indeed Kathryn. Loved the music of S1 especially. I felt I was entering a slice of ice cold fiction. S3 brings it home. Well done! E | ||
| Kathy Paupore
Advanced Member Username: kathy Post Number: 2494 Registered: 12-2003 |
Kathryn, well I didn't expect that ending either. Here I was thinking what a nice piece about nature and then you slipped in human nature. I enjoyed the poem and the turn!  K | ||
| M. Kathryn Black
Senior Member Username: kathryn Post Number: 2732 Registered: 09-2002 |
E, Thankyou very much. I wish to God it was fiction. Kathy, and then it's about what nature brought about in human nature, though I know it brought about alot of good, too. Thanks. My best to you both, Kathryn |
