Lottery

Long ago that girl
Was born twice
Once for Jesus
Then again for madness.

She had a necklace
made with pills and
braided dark honey.

In the city I watched
From a small room
As she rocked back and forth
Cradling a voodoo doll.

Her shadow cut finely
Against television glow
I watched her knit and boil
Near the chipped crockpot.

She sucked on light-tubes
And ashed green

"My spine is growing,"
she told me.

For awhile I believed her.

— Quillsvein1, Jan 07, 2009

Critiques

rosemary

17 years 5 months ago

Ashed green is the new

Ashed green is the new normal. :) This is a phenomenal poem. I sat here, fingers poised to respond, for I don't know how long, looking for the right words, before realizing there weren't any. This gave me that feeling, that unsprung feeling, a sweet surprise. Thank you. -Rosemary Quite contrary Now get out of my garden

Quillsvein1

17 years 5 months ago

thank you

so much. i try (sometimes). what an awesome quote you have "quite contrary, now get out of my garden". your profile is ironically hilarious too, so devoid of poetic coteries. best! gb

infinite_dwarf

17 years 5 months ago

Quills

Is the moral of the story that you were so smitten with this girl, you believed every word? That's what I got from it, anyway. Cool seeing you around site again! ~Jess K. ---------------------------------------------------- - "You can choose from phanthom fears, and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear; I will choose free will..." - Rush

Jo Latimer

17 years 5 months ago

At the risk of repetition

I have to echo Rosemary above. I tried to respond and my keyboard went "HUH?" Loved it. Jo

themoonman

17 years 5 months ago

Me too..

Rosemary's comment was exactly how I was feeling... and I felt myself wanting to believe your voo-doo girl as well.... great poem! Richard

Quillsvein1

17 years 5 months ago

thank

you everybody. this is actually a real person i'm describing here. i haven't seen her in a long time. she suffered from auditory hallucinations and was agoraphobic. she had a voodoo doll that she carried in her (numerous) pockets everywhere and eventually had to be medicated so severely she could no longer communicate very well. she's safe now, living pretty well with her brother. i wasn't into her romantically or anything like that, it was kind of a teenage friendship that lasted for a long time. GB

rosemary

17 years 5 months ago

That Last Line...

How thin the veil is between "normal" and "madness" perhaps? -Rosemary Quite contrary Now get out of my garden

Quillsvein1

17 years 5 months ago

haha

you're absolutely right! she told me so many times: "my spine is growing, i have some kind of condition, look and would show me her back to prove it. i didn't know much about psychosis at that age and she was serious that i believed it for awhile. it wasn't until she started telling me about imaginary "warrants" she had from the police that i started the picture. God keep her. GB

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