Tuesday 10 March 2009

that word you lost

that word you lost
I found it under a rock
hiding with horror-
out of sheer terror
it had become a recluse

that word you lost
wished to eat itself
swallowing itself whole
as with a bitter pill-
now losing its temper

that word you lost

I cajoled it out
tied it in my hanky
to give it back to you
as it wanted to say sorry

that word you lost
a mere word
with so much power-
works both ways
to hurt as well as mend

~~~~~~~~

I had posted the raw version on facebook:

that word you lost
i found it under a rock
it was hiding out of shame
although it came from you
out of its own volition

i cajoled it outside
shook it, cleaned it
tied it in my hanky
to give it back to you
as it wanted to say sorry

a mere word
with so much power
instilled in it-
works both ways
to hurt as well as mend

26 comments:

  1. I'm quite lost for words.
    Excellent.

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  2. I love this! Very musical could be a grand song!!!!

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  3. I, too, like the lyrical nature of this. So well done. One of my favorites from your well of writing.

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  4. I absolutely loved this Guatami.
    Well done!

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  5. This has to be a classic - great work!

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  6. I loved this...you did a great job of seamlessly working that third word into the poem!

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  7. I love that image of "tied it in a hanky"! I definitely like the 4-stanza version!

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  8. Wow! that was brilliant:)

    it just flows and without rhyming, rhymes:)

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  9. the power of words, Wow! this is wonderful!!!

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  10. Very nice. We often understemate the power of words.

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  11. Both versions are awesome...

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  12. I can see here the power of words. Good work.

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  13. I like this, too. There's sadness, yet still hope.

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  14. I lobe the way this ends with that reminder of the power of words.

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  15. Well done on this one, Gautami. Words have so much power: sometimes we should think a little more before we use them, you know?

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  16. I like the idea of the word wishing to eat itself.

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  17. Wow! Well-done, I agree. And yes, words can hurt as well as mend. Nicely worked in with the RWP prompt.

    Cheers,

    Nicole

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  18. that is truly beautiful g... as spoken in other comments, one of yr best... it must be the tenderness conveyed between the horror...

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  19. I like the way the additional stanza adds to the image of the lost word as a living, breathing thing. Good rewrite!

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  20. Amongst all your poems I've read, I like this the best. :)

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  21. I second the praises others have given. What I especially like is that "the word you lost" is never named, so that each reader may find their own word working its way up out of their history / memory. I know I did. Thanks!

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  22. i really loved this...

    the power of words is overwhelming!

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  23. Do you wish you had not found it?

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