Bleed

bleed red
the deep wounds flow
dressings stain crimson hues
from battlegrounds ubiquitous
suffering erects no bigoted walls
but into each culture’s bed climbs
disturbing the soul’s sleep
all humankind
bleed red

~

Words and Photography ©2017 Tanya Cliff ~ to contact me

Entry posted in poetry & Rictameter Verse. Bookmark the permalink.

44 thoughts on “Bleed”

      3. Colin is a class act. I am hearing he will have problems finding a team to hire him. He’s a free agent and teams are avoiding him based on his kneeling during the racists national anthem. Thats sad really.

      4. People are such cowards. If we are going to have a “national” anthem, it really should be “Lift Every Voice and Sing”…one of countless things that need fixing.
        I don’t know if you follow NCAA basketball, but WI Badgers are playing the Sweet 16 game against Florida on Friday. Several of the players on that team are activists in minority causes (esp. Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig). When the coach was asked if the activism bothered him (stupid ass question!!!), he responded that he was proud of those players for using their platform to make the world a better place. Good for him! We need more of that.

      5. I try real hard to avoid following sports at all and here’s why: I find sports, many sports, use the slave/plantation mentality when it comes to players/athletes. Not al but most.

        I love the Chicago Cubs, been a fan since my childhood. My grandfather had season tickets so I grew up in Wrigley. Rickets bought the team in 2004, and he is a flaming racists, attacked Obama furiously. The Cubs won their 1st World series in over 100 years in 2016, but I refused to follow their magical season because of Rickets.

        Football is the biggest slave/plantation sport. NCAA is guilty of how they treat their players. So to answer your question, I really don’t follow sports any longer but I used to be addicted.

      6. It’s an important comment. Thank you! NCAA makes so much money off those players. There is a push to fix it, but we have a long, long way to go.
        The racism in this country is, and always has been, appalling. It is beyond me.

  3. This piece is at once visceral and beautiful. I love the idea of “disturbing the soul’s sleep”. What a wonderful poetic idea. Keep up the good work, dear Poetess.

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    1. Thank you so much! That is the impact I was going for, so I’m thrilled that it struck you that way. I really appreciate the feedback, especially on a piece like this.

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  4. I wish we could disturb the soul’s sleep of the warmongers and those who erect walls! I wonder do they bleed? Great piece of writing, Tanya!

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    1. Excellent comment! Thank you, Ally! We all bleed the same. Too many people don’t see it that way, and the poor and needy of the world suffer for it. We can do better…

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      1. Yes, I agree. It’s sad that people are so unaware of the plight of the needy. It’s like a comatose state envelopes them when they drink out of golden goblets! 😉

      2. We need to care about the poor as if it were our own bellies hurting and our own children dying. That’s what I try to instill in my kids anyway. They all are our children.😊

    1. Thank you, Steve! If we would just see our fellow humans that way. We all bleed and suffer the same. I’m getting excited for the game. Hope it is a good one! Have a great day, my friend!😊

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      2. Well, then allow me to wish you a wonderful evening! We are blessed with such an amazing global community on WP. I forget to look where people are from sometimes.😊

      3. No problem at all Tanya…good day or good evening, it’s almost the same thing….we are only wishing peace and happiness…just that the words are different !

    1. Thank you, Roger! That means a lot to me. It is an addictive form to work with, but it presents some challenges. Starting and stopping with the same two syllables fascinates me.

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      2. I agree, and I’m finding it helps me think of a poem as a complete thought right from the beginning, a good tool to have in my box, I think.

  9. Tanya, this is such a vivid metaphor. The bleeding of the cut wounds is evidence of the mental anguish of the mind, which is where more suffering occurs. Nicely done, Keith

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    1. Thank you, Keith! Inspired by the current political climate…
      If we could just see people as ourselves and not “others”. Have a great day!😊

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      1. Very true. We seem to have a tendency to demonize others for little reason. You have a great day as well.

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