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Poetry
Angel's Insomnia
By gutterkitty
02 November 2006
I'm not sure about this one. What do you think?

I can recall:
The softness of stiff feathers on my back,
Cresting my shoulder blades.
The spines, rooted deeply in my flesh
Singing from the skin, a loud chorus
That made it hard to sleep at night.
No one stops their mind’s wandering
When they see my portrait,
An archetype fingered lovingly in the mind
Or spat from the mouths of atheists.
They do not stop, they can’t know
The touch of feathers on their back,
Oily with prayer or
Stiff with disuse. Like their faith
Which does not stretch, or stop to feel
The breathing that is the
Breathy touch of
Feathers on one’s back.
They do not stop to imagine
The heavens yawning away before them,
Or the blinding brightness of
So many stars, as staring eyes
That will never stop,
Or close their mouths,
Ceaseless as the crowds and traffic and
The people who do not stop
To draw my face, or finger
The archetype lovingly in their mind.
Some don’t have the time to
Spit my name, or think of
The breathing that is wings unfolding
And the breathy touch of
Feathers on one’s skin.
They don’t stop their mind’s wandering
Or stand still in the street
When their faith catches its breath, stiff with disuse
Upon seeing my portrait, to think:
An angel is not designed,
With feathers rooted deeply in its flesh
Singing a loud chorus, and oily with prayer,
I am not designed to lay myself down
And sleep.

 

Reviews

Written by Witzl (1585 comments posted) 2nd November 2006
I think this is lovely -- especially 'the breathy touch of / Feathers on one's back' and 'The breathing that is wings unfolding.' 
 
I also liked the idea of the heavens 'yawning away' and the notion of stars as 'staring eyes.'

Written by Phil (6632 comments posted) 2nd November 2006
Yep, lovely. 
 
Phil.
Surely...
Written by Talisker (1320 comments posted) 3rd November 2006
Angels roost, like other birds, no? 
 
Just stick your sweet little head under your wing and you'll drop off (the telephone line) in less than no time at all. 
 
With all those feathers, you wouldn't want a downy quilt, it would be like a human lying on a bed filled with human hair, YUK. 
 
Sorry, I'll take my medicine now. I really liked it drainpussy. Really like it. 
 
Oli
simply wonderful
Written by francoise (129 comments posted) 3rd November 2006
the poem grows effortlessly which is what a good poem should do. It's as though you simply enabled the image of an angel to weave its way through this piece. You have something very special here. I particularly liked the structure of the piece and how the lines continued into each other like a narrative (with all the connectors when, or, which, that) 
Beautiful. Well done 
 
Fran

Written by JourneyAtNight (314 comments posted) 3rd November 2006
I thought this was stunning, it moved me and like francoise said, it seems to grow naturally and without effort. 
 
Lovely! 
 

 

Written by gutterkitty (362 comments posted) 4th November 2006
Thanks for your comments everyone! Glad you enjoyed it.  
 
Oli- I have to say that "drainpussy" is at the top of my list of favourite nicknames. Right next to "big ho" :P

Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 10th December 2006
I feel a bit guilty because I always seem to nitpick about the things you post...but I always really enjoy them! So I thought I'd come back to find one that I couldn't nit pick about :) 
 
I loved this first time around (don't know why I didn't comment!) and I still do. I'm not going to go through the bits i liked because it would take up lots of space but I thought 'oily feathers' was a particularly nice touch. Really strong piece - one of your best IMO 
 
Elli

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