She has a soft way of talking.
You have to lean in,
Heads close as if sharing a secret –
An appearance of intimacy
As false as it’s immediate.

In these almost-whispers
You receive the material moments
Of her life. “My toes hurt today.”
“I think I’m catching a cold.”
“Mrs Brown went out this morning.”

The secret is to pat her hand,
To nod and murmur while tucking
The blankets closer around her,
Or combing her fragile hair.

Perhaps she imagines you are her mother,
Or her daughter who so seldom comes.

(Note: Woulda put the quotes in italics instead, if I could have. More like almost-whispers.)

I have a little secret
That I dare not say
Especially not to you
Who would only be amused
Or worst
Be condescending
About the banality
Of it in the great scheme
Of life where you
Have so many
Bigger secrets that are
Evidently secretive if only to
Justify the highly confidential
Stamped all over them
So obviously my little
Tiny secret
That I will be leaving
You
Does not matter

Does it?

I have created a new post with links to the past two years of articles. I hope that helps.

John

A few things. I find it impossible to access 2008’s 30 days of poetry topics. I can read 2007’s 30 days, and they were wonderful, and very sitructional. 2008, if memory serves me correctly, were also fairly instrucitonal. Please understand that I am not knocking this year’s prompts. I rather enjoy the challenge in whatever form it takes. It just seems that this year, you are less instructional in your topics and prompts. Take it as an observation.

Now, to the assignment. I chose to write some Blues. (this guarantees the repetition of the work secret)

I Ain’t Within Your Heart (blues)

I heard my babe’s been having secret love.
Oh, yes, I heard she’s having secret love.
It hurts to think she someone else’s love.

Oh, baby tell me this is just a lie!
Please, baby tell me this is just a lie!
I can not face it, if it weren’t a lie.

Your silence tears apart my bleeding heart.
Oh babe, your silence tears apart my heart.
Because it says I ain’t within your heart

Oh babe, I gave you all I had to give.
Oh yes, I gave you all I had to give.
But if it’s not enough, what can I give?

Please come and tell me you’ll be mine alone.
Oh, babe please tell me you’ll be mine alone.
I promise to be true to you and you alone.

Oh babe, your silence tears apart my heart.
Your silence tears apart my bleeding heart.
Because it says I ain’t within your heart

A Little Secret

I have a little secret:
I don’t like my friend
Not that I really loath her
But we’re just not the same

See, I don’t like to chase boys
And I also don’t blog
But she has so many exes
And a rather thriving blog

I don’t have an idea
How we became this way
I think it’s all a mistake
That’s all that I can say

So that’s my little secret:
That I don’t like my friend
We’re just way too different
This friendship’s destined to end.