after the waterboarding
When a promise broke me
I was ready to confess
to the darkest thoughts
just to clear my head
I was ready to be lifted
by my own explosive charges
simply for the rush
of air back into my lungs
I was ready to hang
by my own rope
if only to feel the steadying
pull of the earth again
& I confess
their promise was nothing other
than that the atrocious weather
would change
& it did
I have been changed
into something
I do not know
__________
[Poetry Thursday - dead link]
The challenge this week was to begin a poem with the last line of another poem. I used the last line from today’s poem at Poetry Daily, Promise, by Judson Mitcham.
This entry was posted Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 at 8:09 pm and is filed under Personal/Political, Poems & poem-like things. 
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Oh, just lovely! I read it through several times just enjoying the feel of the words. A moving piece.
Really nice flow and imagery. And the last lines “I have been changed/ into something/ I do not know” really touched me, deeply.
Like the promises and changing weather analogy..
Topical and important poem. I was moved by the part about the desire to feel gravity again, even if while hanging.
This Girl – Thanks. I enjoyed making the acquaintance of your own blog and stunning photography.
Clare, gautami, and Brett – Thanks for the comments. I really labored over this one, and the subject is decidedly grim, so I’m awfully glad to hear that it resonated with you all.
Well done. Delicious flow and nicely rhythm’d.
Am I the only person who found this a distressing poem to read? :-)
Tumblewords – Thanks.
dale – I sure as hell hope not.
add me to the list of those for whom this resonated… I liked the fact that you did not use any punctuation (it made it “grimmer”; but then, grim has never been a problem for me)
I must confess that I like this poem. Confession whether coerced or not can be an agent of change.