Live Journal Idol Season 9, Week 28

[eeyore_grrl]

			the gauntlet


I stand in mountain pose, eyes closed
			       arms to my sides
			       tailbone and neck aligned
			       breathing in peace and calm
			       breathing out stress and pain

i stand

i breathe

i am ready for the day
        ready to face the gauntlet

		ready

eyes slowly open
	(i am alive)
arms stretch up to reach the heavens
 	(i am alive)

step follows step, I begin to walk the corridor
		soldiers on each side
		armed with maces and words
step follows step, the maces bite and the words sting

i fear the words more
	i could run through avoid bodily damage with duck and cover techniques
	i could run through with wounds minor enough to heal
but a gauntlet of trained voices is impossible to avoid

i prepare with cotton in my ears
i prepare to run on through
i prepare my shields

and step follows step, once more unto the breach
i walk forward, their maces are held at the ready
but it is the words I hear, the words that bruise my heart
i gather my energy, my power, my beliefs
	i continue through this gauntlet
	i try to let the words bounce
    	i try to accept and dispute
	i try
	i try
		and i fail
panic at my fingertips 
my breath is faltering
i tremble

I stand in mountain pose, eyes closed
			       arms to my sides
			       tailbone and neck aligned
			       breathing in peace and calm
			       breathing out stress and pain

i pass through the gauntlet

i am alive

i am well.

See and hear me read it here:

PLEASE VOTE HERE: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/809247.html

Comments

[i-17bingo.livejournal.com]

i prepare with cotton in my ears

This really reached through the imagery and slapped me in the face. Wow!

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

I like that cotton in the ears is to get through, is good in this instance, like blockading from the Sirens, not just shutting out people and reality...

Thanks.

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

Nice..beautiful use of the prompt..good work again..loved the end.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I try to take it, at least, somewhat off the obvious track. Doesn't always work. This one feels more... slow. More careful.

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

There is a strong sense here, and in your other poems, that sometimes we fail-- and are not destroyed-- and yet over time we build the strength to succeed.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

That does seem to be my theme of late. I don't think is such a bad one. Eventually, when I try to publish (even if it is self-publishing) I will cull the herd. I hope it's not to redundant during idol.

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

No, not redundant at all. But it's the kind of theme you don't see often. People fixate on either "only success!" or "only failure..." but typically don't take the longer view of things.

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks you. I'm doing ok. Learning to walk through and stand strong. (hugs) back.

[swirlsofblue.livejournal.com]

Love the style of this, and the description of the power of words, brilliant.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

I get a little meta sometimes. I swear I'm gonna write something positive one of these days... :D

[cheshire23.livejournal.com]

I wish it wasn't so hard for people to understand fearing the words more.

[crisp-sobriety.livejournal.com]

"i fear the words more
i could run through avoid bodily damage with duck and cover techniques
i could run through with wounds minor enough to heal
but a gauntlet of trained voices is impossible to avoid"

Ain't that the truth.

Awesome as always!

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i really like the repetition of "i stand in mountain pose..." - first time you're steeling yourself, second time you're just relieved you survived.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

Yoga is how I prefer getting ready for the day, too.