Ripe
slumbering in softened soil
my breath bleeds to extended exposure
my mind bends—
hugs tight curves calculating cultivation
I cannot rest when the sweltering sun warms my bones
first pinkening, then reddening juicy marrow
ripe for hungry teeth to puncture
and send me back below the troweled surface
for an infinite lapse of lifetimes
and mouth-watering cycles to come
24 thoughts on "Ripe"
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Just love the balance of “my breath bleeds to extended exposure” and “curves calculating cultivation” — you have a way with words, HA.
Thank you, Bill! I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for reading!
Each couplet is a pearl in its own.
Especially love: “ripe for hungry teeth to puncture/and send me back below the troweled surface”
Thank you, Pam! I hope the poetry oysters continue to provide. Thanks for reading.
Love reading this and imagining the visual of each couplet. “My breath bleeds to extended exposure” is a powerful image.
Thank you, Virginia! This poem stems from a writing prompt that I was given last night while meeting with a local writing group. The prompt was one word: ripe.
Thanks for reading!
Yikes! how generous of your decomposing body to be feeding generations to come, a most startling but deliciously memorable poem
Yes, the cycle of life– and death– (de)composed on the page. It is a bit startling. Thank you so much for reading.
Wow!
I was cutting to paste
And each couplet is just fantastic.
By starting qith the soft sounds and and then hard and back aoft and then ” trowled”
A sensing and deft hand.
Again,poet,
Thank you 😀
Thank you, Coleman. I always appreciate your kind words and your considerate reads. I’m honored to be called a poet, because I still feel like a little kid playing dress up with her mother’s clothing in this genre. An ill-fit, but a fun time for sure. Thanks for reading!
Lol…..you speak my mind …..lololololololol….i think we all feel that way when encountering the quality of this gathering.
Absolutely! Good to know that I’m not alone. : )
I love the couplets here and “ripe for hungry teeth to puncture.”
Thank you, Nancy! Glad you like this one. Thank you for reading! 💜
Each couplet a piece of art
Thank you, Linda! I really appreciate that you feel this way. : )
Just beautiful! So many soft sounds here to ease us into and through life’s cycle. “first pinkening, then reddening juicy marrow” – love! Nothing like a juicy red tomato!
Thank you, Sylvia! I’m glad you heard the softness in this. Yes, a juicy red tomato!
Rich with rhythm and sound: “ slumbering in softened soil / my breath bleeds to extended exposure.” Masterful, H.A.
Thank you, L.! 💜 I appreciate that you read and left such kind words.
Cyclical and surprising and elegant. I really love “tight curves calculating cultivation” and “slumbering in softened soil” and just think this is a beautifully constructed piece
Thank you, Shaun! I am honored that you find elegance in my writing, particularly in this piece. Thank you so much for reading and commenting with care.
It’s really compelling in the way it merges botanical imagery with bodily sensation, creating a speaker who is both plant and person, both soil‑bound and exposed. Fascinating!
Thanks, Jeremy. Botanical, oceanic, and celestial elements are my go-to places in poetry. I appreciate that you see the person/plant merge here.