Poetry / Man in the Attic

The man that lives in the attic

is soot-coated ebony licorice.

serpentine tongue with whip-like wit.

His smile, as crooked and bony is his back.

Let not his feeble appearance fool you.

Surprisingly spry and attentive is he

and he seldom rests.

Not a wink while there’s dark.

Like a bat in your cave, slinging his guano around.

Hidden in the corner, now covered in webs

and dust, a trunk is found. One lock. One key.

My turn, deep breath… and then

light. Just light and awe.

And I remembered the very last time

the attic was empty. When I was a child.

Saffron and gold colored streams beam through

the window at the far end of the place.

Shiny cedar wood floor and baby’s breath painted walls

fall open a space that rivals any great hall.

“Such a wonderful place”, said a whisper one day

“It’d be a shame for it to go to waist.

Why not bring something to fill in the space?

Surely, you have wonderful taste”

My father’s grandfather’s grandfather clock

and my moms old pot pourri I brought

I was sitting there one day, admiring my stuff

when out of the shadow or pile of dust

a figure appeared to be making a fuss.

That’s when I met the little man

who came to live in the shadows

of the space in my attic.

He languished my effects with lengthy word kisses

and praised me for my acquisition of them.

I took to listening to the old man,

he was smooth at first, even helping me

Bring more things to the space until one day…

I noticed

the light had been stamped out.

And it had been he and I and the stuff

in the dark

for a while.

My turn, deep breath… and then

light. Just light and awe.

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thiscantbelife avatar Random Review

August 28, 2008

thiscantbelife

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thiscantbelife reviewed Version 1 - Read 100% of the Item

I really love this one. I’m not really big on poetry so I had to read it a couple of times but it really makes you think about what your actually trying to convey or maybe even what each individual reader can get out of your writing. I think you are very talented! :)

Shakara

SMRB avatar General Friend

September 01, 2008

SMRB

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SMRB reviewed Version 1 - Read 100% of the Item

Well , Well, Well, no shortage of imagination here my friend. This poem allows the reader to take the journey through the attic with or without you.I found myself reading then re-reading. Then i found my imagination was taking me back to my attic and bringing more stuff in,until the light was stamped out of course.

It reads well but I think the flow could be improved.

My turn deep breath…and then light.Just light and awe. Unlike many ,I like repititive lines in poetry that seem to define your thoughts,especially when you end with it

Good Poem.Good Ending.Good Job.

MKary avatar Random Review

September 08, 2008

MKary

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MKary reviewed Version 2 - Read 50% of the Item

Universality.
The fact that I do not have an attic, never occured to me while I was reading this. For the span of 3 minutes, I was able to go up the stairs I do not have into the darkness I don’t own, and check out all of the clutter I’ve managed to cram up there.
There were only a few moments I was pulled out of the piece. The first being:
“Let not his feeble appearance fool you.”
Poets are almost always better often served by not giving instructions to their readers. The line seemed a touch forced. Almost like a pretense at seeming wiser than you are. The rest of the poem shows us your depth, you don’t need to reach any further.

I also questioned the use of the word Languish. I completely own up to the fact I may be too stupid to understand all of it’s connotations, but it jsut didn’t seem like it was used in an accessible fashion.
It could be, that I’m still thinking about it, precisely your intent, so change it or not, it’s done it’s job.

I could nitpick, but it would be like picking motes of a well-tailored suit. Looking down, they may catch my eye, but only the view from the standpoint of arrogance could show me they were there in the first place…

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brandyrox avatar

brandyrox

Age: 29
Loc: Honolulu, HI
Gen: F
Last Login: January 07
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