Silent Screams- a Short Poem
I wrote this little poem back in Oct, 2014. Goodness, that long ago?
Anyway, it began as most of my writings do, something started me thinking about a silent scream, and this is what came out of it. It is a bit dark, as my Sister told me at the time, but there’s a certain… relatability to it. I think, anyway.
So, here it is again, for all to inspect and/or pick apart:
Silent Screams
Life behind these padded walls, as surreal as a dream
A dream where even silence screams, but only silent screams
Silent screams of ancient Queens beheaded on a stage
The stage, surrounded by noisy throng
Some hawking wares secured with tongs
Some yammering of someone else’s wrongs
One standing above, above any reproach
Heralding merits and valiant deeds like a coach
A coach who stores the team behind padded walls
Yes, life behind these padded walls. wishing t’were a dream
For here, unlike in dreams, the silence screams, but not silent screams
Not silent screams from ancient Queens beheaded on a stage.
An overdue update:
This poem saw publication in 2017 in the anthology Beautiful Tragedies. It rates as one of my first 2 short story publications (this and FMS2:AB with Duplicate Counterparts hit Amazon the same day).
6 Replies to “Silent Screams- a Short Poem”
Thanks! Though I have not seen any of the Thrones (movie, cartoon, comic, game, series; whatever versions have been done. 🙂 ) , I’m glad you were able to reference it through my little poem.
I don’t know much about poetry, but I do know this was very interesting. I liked the way you laid it out and rhymed it. Of course, what came to my mind was Game of Thrones. Queen Cersei to be exact. It also sounds like something they’d have on there. Some kind of riddle or something they’d tie in to some plot. Well done, John!
Thanks! I thought it kind of went off-topic with the third stanza, but others have, like yourself, quashed that thought. 🙂
You’re right about it being a little dark, but it was easy to imagine what was going on. There were a few times that I thought I saw silent screams in my patients eyes. I like the title and think it would be good for a novel.
Thanks!
I liked it.