Image Response Poem

The Secret

Small creeks between frozen plains

A warm, bright match inside my mouth

By Sylvia Morrow

Response Poem:

Her Secret

You are so small now.

You were once big and famous and I was so

jealous. But not anymore. He

told me what happened between you two

and now I carry that secret,

your lit match to my bomb’s string -

I am on fire, exploding, and you can’t deny it

I am better, greater, outdistancing you,

I see your drooped neck, sad eyes as you watch me

walk, stare at my high head my big eyes my twig thin wrists.

Your face is always so ghosted so bored so shutdown

Like a stampede just ran across your forehead and

Youre still trying to recover what was just pounded out.

I know if you could you would

Bring the life, the color, the hope back into your skin your lips

your heart but you cant,

you bled too much for him and still bleed too much for him,

and I thrive while you wilt

because you know (all too well) my secret too.

You know, after everything he did to you and you gave

up one by one, the easy and the crevice, 

every part of you,

tried to take what was once mine, you know

it was to me not you, that under that cold January sun.

he still said,

I love you.