Melanoma

by emmylou1995

Published February 15, 2014

In Poems

Dandelions bleed across grass stained fields

a yellowed hide waned across fragile

spring soil, the sky is a cracked pale yellow fishbowl

silhouettes of maple trees are mirrored

by the salt water lake whose fish are mangled

purple blue yellow like broken crayons

when children toss stickers and glitter onto sheets

of construction paper dabbled with ivory glue

amber-colored nail polish spills over terra-cotta stone

disillusions the sandpaper skirts abused wives

wear when I love you starts sounding plastic

stars have yellowed to pinpricks in the night sky

chalked with moonlight when it rains dance because

rain feels like shards of yellow chalk

shrapnel embeds in shoulders and life feels real


Its like when he dreams about hair

how it used to itch at his scalp used to be strawberry yellow

strands that shed onto his construction jacket

yellow cotton gloves and hospital bed pillowcases

covered in dandelions bleeding across the bedsheets

a yellowed hide waned across fragile gray-toned skin

Comments & reviews · 3
User avatar
RachelLeeAnn
Review
RachelLeeAnn wrote a review Review · Feb 15, 2014

Hello, emmylou1995!
RachelLeeAnn here to review!

Oh my goodness; such imagery! You've painted a beautiful word picture here. Your similes and word choice were spot on. GREAT job!
However, I do agree with lyricalrebel in saying that the lack of punctuation takes away from the poem. It makes the whole piece seem like a run-on, which in turn makes it feel very rushed. Try adding in the proper punctuation/capitalization, and I think it could REALLY help! :)

Otherwise, it's perfect.
Great job!
-Rae^^

User avatar
lyricalrebel
Review
lyricalrebel wrote a review Review · Feb 15, 2014

Hey, lyricalrebel here.
The only thing I was looking for are full stops because when you read the way you wrote it, it's like you don't have enough time to breathe while reading it and it almost ruins the atmosphere while you're reading it. But hey, nice work. :)
I must say that you've done an awesome job describing that awful situation.
A normal work - I think - would focus more on the pain and sadness and all those prickly emotions but you've conveyed those feelings using beautiful words.
I also like the way you used the colors like you were just describing something through a child's eyes and I was greatly moved by what you did. Really, I felt sad.

User avatar
lakegirls
Comment
lakegirls commented Comment · Feb 15, 2014

This was beautiful. I am crying. It is so real, the way that it's written makes me believe that you yourself have/had Melanoma. Your simile's are perfect, your description is unique and powerful and I'm gushing but I can't help it. I was so ready to critique this but now I'm at loss for what to critique. You did such an amazing, amazing job.

-Nicole

Thank you for your comment! I'm sorry it made you cry, and no, I've never had it but I've known someone who did. Thank you, again.



You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.
— Madeleine L'Engle, Author