Woman Up



A rusted padlock hangs
between my breast and ribs.
I lost the key a hundred
heartbreaks a go when
the tear swamp grew teeth
and tore a hole
in my starry eyes.

It wasn’t bitter that lost the key
or the clinging ribbons of lost love.
Reality stormed in like a bitch
who knows her truth and tore
the pink curtain from my daydreams.

She taught me to woman up,
a few bruises on my spirit wouldn’t kill,
and building a wall around my heart
only makes me the prisoner.

The rusty open lock and I are friends.
When I struggle about letting
someone in, it reminds me
empty feeds too many ghosts.

 ©Susie Clevenger 2017



 "A rusted padlock hangs between my breast and ribs."  Is the first line in my poem Every Glass Slipper Fits A Fool.

Comments

tonispencer said…
empty feeds too many ghosts...oh my goodness what an excellent closing line to this amazing poem.
Debi Swim said…
"She taught me to woman up,
a few bruises on my spirit wouldn’t kill" That is wonderful advice. Love it.
Magaly Guerrero said…
I want to marry your first two lines! They are just perfect, Susie. The strength of the imagery, the power of the meaning... LOVE it.
Incredible power in this 'woman-up' poem, I love the image of the rusty lock.
Jae Rose said…
Such vivid imagery - and I love the notion of womaning up!
Anonymous said…
Thank you for this wonderful insight into a soul
Sherry Blue Sky said…
This poem packs a lot of power. I especially love "Empty feeds too many ghosts". Wonderful, Susie! Your poems are on fire these days!
Jim said…
This is nice, Susie. Losing the key reminds me of when I lost my first wedding ring in the Dam B lake. It wasn’t bitter either that I lost the ring, "the clinging ribbons of lost love." And I didn't replace the lock, i.e. the ring. I bought a new one for the new Mrs. Jim. Much better now, 44 years better.
I liked too, your "tear swamp (growing) teeth and "tearing" a hole in my starry eyes. That was me at the start.
Very appropriate for of side of most broken romances, you think?
..
Kim M. Russell said…
Such a powerful poem, Susie! Just the image of the rusted padlock made my heart hurt, and the lines:
'I lost the key a hundred
heartbreaks a go when
the tear swamp grew teeth
and tore a hole
in my starry eyes'
made me gasp.
But I was relieved to read the lines:
'The rusty open lock and I are friends.
When I struggle about letting
someone in, it reminds me
empty feeds too many ghosts'.
Brendan said…
This maturity puts the heart to full, feral use: wide open and with all the scars on display, like tattoos.
Sanaa Rizvi said…
'The rusty open lock and I are friends. When I struggle about letting someone in, it reminds me empty feeds too many ghosts' .. this is so powerful!
This was powerful and life-affirming. I love the term Woman Up!
Carrie Van Horn said…
Oh Susie...this is glorious! So many powerful and wise lines in this poem. I especially love the last line! It is amazing!!!