The Lesions of Devotion
Micro.
Every day I set myself down on the freshly cut lawn and strip myself bare. I take my guitar and finger the frets and pick at the strings, listening for dissonance. My life is dissonance. I twist the tuning pegs until each string sounds bright. Then I kneel, calves pointing behind me, kneecaps facing forward. All exposed to the breeze. I close my eyes and play the melody.
I play a song of obeisance.
Shiny, shiny.
Shiny boots of leather.
Wear me down.
Heavy on my neck,
heavy on my spine.
Lashes self-inflicted.
Back spasms and
acceptance.
My body is a beacon, chosen with a purpose.
Weighty, the responsibility.
As I settle down with kneecaps facing forward, calves pointing backward,
I pluck each string, feel the reverberation of air displaced around spring coil and metal.
Twisting inches at a time the tuning pegs, I come to a startling realization:
I will die here.
All exposed to the breeze. I close my eyes and play the melody.
I play a song of obeisance.
But still I sing that song of obeisance.
I am tired, weary.
I could sleep for a thousand years.
A thousand dreams would awake me.
Different colors made of tears.
As I strum, she marches.
Shiny, shiny.
Shiny boots of leather.
As I pick and finger to be free.
I kneel and perform
to the lesions.
The lesions
of devoted.
*
Author’s Note:
Nod to The Velvet Underground and their classic song Venus in Furs for lyrical and thematic inspiration.
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!
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Comments (20)
This is absolutely one of my new favorites of yours, Paul. Stripped down and vulnerable, bodily attuned, submissive, and respectful, this brings a sense of peace despite its sadder elements. Congratulations on your top story and leaderboard placement❣
Powerfully moving Paul! It gives voice to void, longing, inexplicable everything, yet somehow is comforting and sad at the same time. Congratulations on the top story!
Such a powerful piece, Congratulations on making it to the leaderboard!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
I KNEW you'd get a placement!! This was amazing! Congrats :D
I was stuck thinking about grass being stuck in your arse... But the ending was so sad and hopeless.
I've never listened to an early Lou Reed vocal. I am more familiar with the "New York" era, which I love. I remember when Warhol died during a routine surgery. What an interesting age. I wonder how life would have been different if he lived. This part of your poem is calling. "I could sleep for a thousand years./ A thousand dreams would awake me./ Different colors made of tears."
Yep. This is a good one. The language is concise, but powerful and rich. I always love it when I read something and think..."wait...what??" Then re-reading it and seeing the mystery and beauty reveal itself. Congratulations on Top Story. Well deserved.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Perfect ending... Felt like a performance piece. Congrats, buddy!
Way to go on getting TS. This is a micro that could be about making various choices. (Just wondered about the three-word haiku for your unofficial challenge. I mainly just wrote it for fun. Let me know for I did post the link in the comments of that story.)
This is such an evocative and beautiful piece. Congratulations on getting Top Story!
I was actually singing this in my head, as I was reading wondering how it would sound if it would be an actual song. Love it! You never disappoint, Paul.
Congratulations! I was down the editing hole and missed this. Will come back later. Like the shiny!
This one hooked me from the beginning! I love the vulnerability and honesty of this piece, Paul. I also love when music inspires such amazing writing. Congrats on the Top Story! 🎉
Raw and poetic great work
Oh, I love this, Paul! Congrats on your top story!
Well deserved! A great blend of prose and poetry.
Master poet and storyteller mingled together in this one. I loved your imagery throughout this piece. "And strip myself bare" resonates so much with creative mind. Isn't that what we all do when we create a piece, whether song, poetry, or story? We strip off our defenses and let the world peek at our naked soul.
❤️❤️❤️
I love how the opening pulls you in —very poetic too!