teeth in the sky

by Liz

Published December 14, 2004

there are too many teeth in the sky
and when tears collect in its large blue eye
it knows there is no backing out: it must cry
though silence! what a pleasure! to be able to
feel the nothingness that could really be anything but nothingness.

its skin is so cut and torn that you know it knows
more than anyone of us, more than it ever shows
it runs like rushing water, bleeds blood that flows
out of its veins into purple darkness, pink light
liquid rainbows pour into the unused space around us.

caked blood on dirty, mottled walls
gets cleaned each day and to the floor it falls
shimmering, the light dressing it in new colours, it crawls
to its shadowy corner to gather once again
o silence! be flesh once more! cling to me.
written: Sunday 21st March 2004, 11:27am

Comments & reviews · 6
User avatar
AkiraEliza
Review
AkiraEliza wrote a review Review · Sep 22, 2024

I'm just going to be honest and say that I have music blasting in my ears so... yeah. I know, crappy environment for a review, but I mean.. I love my music!
I find "teeth in the sky" to be very unusual, but its actually the very reason it snagged my attention in the first place.
I have found this very confusing to understand the concept. You talk about a gory, bloody scene, but you never tell us the metaphor. what are the walls belong to? what does the skin contain? who do the teeth belong to, and that big blue eye, where is the other one?
I have to admit, your poetry is rather interesting. I admire it, even. Such an unusual view for common sighting, like walls, stars, and the moon. and who would have thought to pair such unnatural occurrences with each other? perhaps, the entire point was to be vague in what you mean by skin and teeth? if so, I understand it, somewhat. I for one like to be vague because it compels the reader to demand the questions they absolutely have to know. overall, I like they way you have viewed things, and its not too long or too short. I'm sorry if this didn't seem much like a review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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retrodisco666
Review
retrodisco666 wrote a review Review · Jul 25, 2010

I loved it in a nut shell.

There is nothing more to say.

It was my perfect idea for a poem, and I think you have done justice with it.

I think the use of enjambment in the first stanza is used very creatively and adds a whole new level to the piece.

liquid rainbows pour into the unused space around us.


That is excellent imagery and my favourite part to the poem

Well done.

PM for anything.

~Retro Disco666

User avatar
Chevy
Review
Chevy wrote a review Review · Jan 13, 2005

why does everyone seem to have an animal avator except for me? hm, who knows.
anyway, at first, i didn't really understand the poem until the end of the first stanza. 'teeth in the sky'...hm...very interesting way of putting it. :considers plagiarism: (consider this a compliment 8) )

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Sam
Comment
Sam commented Comment · Jan 8, 2005

wow...I don't know what to say...I love the style! :D *god that sounded awful*

User avatar
Myriadne
Review
Myriadne wrote a review Review · Jan 8, 2005

I really love your opening image. I think the first three lines of your opening stanza are magical, but the last two lines don't really work for me, they seem clumsy compared to the rest of the stanza and don't really fit. That of course is just my opinion.

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bubblewrapped
Review
bubblewrapped wrote a review Review · Dec 16, 2004

Interesting, definitely a lot of vivid imagery in this one. I cant say I liked it as much as I did your previous work, but that could just be because the rhyme scheme strikes me as detracting from the overall picture.

there are too many teeth in the sky
and when tears collect in its large blue eye
it knows there is no backing out: it must cry
though silence! what a pleasure! to be able to
feel the nothingness that could really be anything but nothingness.


This is just my personal opinion, but while the imagery is really striking and I quite like it, I'm not sure that the rhyme in the first three lines flows very well, at least in this verse. The third line seems disjointed and the fifth line is a bit long - although I like the concept of nothing that isnt nothing, or whatever. Could perhaps use a bit of trimming.

its skin is so cut and torn that you know it knows
more than anyone of us, more than it ever shows
it runs like rushing water, bleeds blood that flows
out of its veins into purple darkness, pink light
liquid rainbows pour into the unused space around us.


Now this verse I like. No, actually, I love it. Its powerful, its confusing (ever so slightly, so that you have to reread it a couple of times until you fully appreciate what its saying) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I just have to point out that I think "anyone" should read "any one".

caked blood on dirty, mottled walls
gets cleaned each day and to the floor it falls
shimmering, the light dressing it in new colours, it crawls
to its shadowy corner to gather once again
o silence! be flesh once more! cling to me.


Again, the rhyme scheme is a little off-putting in this verse. I like the image in the last two lines, but I think you should dispense with one of the "once" parts and exchange it for another word...just my bias against repetition of words, though.

Kudos, its a great poem. You really have a talent for creating pictures out of words. Well done.



The secret of being tiresome is to tell everything.
— Voltaire