Gravity: A Prose Poem

Wednesday Prose Poem: something about pressure…

Stuck in between a thousand pound pebble and sandpaper — the rough and uncomfortable — legs and nerves defy movement, slip out of every intention of the words —

and contorted, the face with its rage and enmity painted in long lines of deep red, the pursed lips from swallowed insults — more than the average spine can take —

laying wishes out like prayer beads — misshapen and mishandled — even with daylight in the trees — the dreams press heavily too, the nightmares sleeping close and laying on top of you like clothes you thought you’d burned — long ago — but desire…

ah —

and waiting for the movement of lightness unlike every other dawn — waking with you — happy feeling like torching the idea of lying endlessly on pins and needles with a magnified sun —

so that feeling vanishes too and runs in time with the frozen memory, but still — fighting the gravity of the heart that won’t heal, rebuilding the asylum that’s rubble now—separating fingers from thought and there’s a half-assed attempt to defuse a bomb —but seconds later and you’re running away —

but the eyes stay closed.

J.D. Harms 2022

Prompt:

Welcome back! It’s a new year! (If that’s true, how come the pandemic…? Never mind.)

One way or another, we all wind up experiencing pressure in our lives: we’re pushed (or pulled) into situations, decisions…and some of us spend a lot of energy running away from these pressures. I suppose in the context of a totally uncomplicated life (I’m far from certain this has ever manifested amongst our species…), pressure is perhaps experienced simply as planetary gravity? Anyway, giving in is usually pretty easy, standing up under pressure (ooh, Bowie!) a lot harder. Write a prose poem that explores pressure in some form (diamonds count, but be original!). Tag me in it, and, since it’s 2022, I’m sure you’ve found a whole new way to ROCK! Read and write on!!

In case you missed the last prompt, check it out here!

Melissa Coffey Zay Pareltheon Eli Snow Jessica Lee McMillan Viraji Ogodapola Alan Asnen Sally A Mortemore Kristie Darling Mimi Bordeaux Joe Luca Joseph Lieungh Samantha Lazar Vic Spandrio Eleanore Christine Cassandra Armstrong Mel Paczka Alicia Lee Colasurdo Danielle Loewen Carolyn Riker Enne Baker Somsubhra Banerjee Annine Massaro Amy L. Bernstein Amy Jasek Paroma Sen Andrea Juillerat-Olvera Betsy Denson Michelle Berry Lane Dennett Mohan Boone Rowen Veratome Caitlin Rebecca Brigitte Bebey Suzanne V. Tanner Lennie Varvarides Gary Chapin Dana Sanford Lori Lamothe Laurie Perez Jesse M. Gonzalez Jeff Langley Roy Reichle Rhonda Marrone Era Garg Ann Marie Steele Barry Dawson Jr. IV Janaka Stagnaro Sydney Duke Richey Sydney J. Shipp Georgiana Petec Renee Podunovich allie wisniewski