To Personify
Once upon a time
There were two,
Him and I,
He being 'Live'
And I being 'Die.'
He had gone out
For a walk
In the snow,
His eyes alight
His face aglow.
I followed him down
To the edge
Of the sea;
There all alone
Just him, just me.
When he reached the point
Where the sea
Met the snow,
He turned and said
“Come, let us go.”
I looked around slowly,
Scanned the beach
And the sea,
No one was there
He was talking to me.
So I gave him my hand,
He grasped it
With laughter,
And pulled me headlong
Into the water.
Now I am alone,
You see
I can swim,
He had given me back
What I’d given to him.
© James Rainsford 2011
Posted to dVerse Poets on 22nd Oct. Your views are welcome and I'll try to respond to all who post a comment here. Kind regards to all and thanks for the visit, James.
how intersting..it leaves me wondering a bit at who it is that takes your had...live or die...i think i will choose live and if it is below the waves i will take it...smiles.
ReplyDeletemaybe being alone isn't so bad... interesting viewpoint
ReplyDeleteJames! Wonderful presentation and rhythm to this piece. Like Brian, I am wondering who took your hand...or as it as simple as choice and self? Hmmm...ponderous notions incredibly well played! Nice to be back!
ReplyDeleteI choose to "Live" rather than "Die". I like to believe we both have these desires, as part of our interesting albeit sometimes conflicting persona.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it ~
i was trying to picture the characters, and really couldn't, which in itself was an interesting way to write it, because you prevented me from putting this into my own perspective, and forced me into a new way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteDeath is the ultimate Other, and yet an intimate Other as well. You've given this dichotomy within a unique voice here, James. Last stanza is both chilling and yet rings somehow oddly right.
ReplyDeletewow personifying the choice of life or death interesting concept making for a great write ...thank you x
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice poem, I like reading it, it rhymes nicely. I could guess the meaning that life and death meet in the end.
ReplyDeleteI'm shivering. What a primal and unsettling gift exchange.
ReplyDeletewow, James - excellent work here!
ReplyDeletesuch metaphor in living & dying / life & death.
I can 'see' Death following the Living and visually 'tasting' Life's nuances (eyes aglow, et.al.)
I'm looking at two possible twists here:
one, 'He' drowned
two, 'I' found Life and am living.
He: Life
I: Death
Love it. ....and, a very good job.
Death consumes Life...does Death ''Live'' by this consumption?
ReplyDeletecoming back to this from my previous post...
and I shall part once more with: ''Good Job''
The other within. Many of us have an internal drama like this. The lucky ones resolve their conflict in time, as your person did here.
ReplyDeleteThat was really an interesting post.Thanks for sharing such a useful contents here and it's great for me to be here in Ur blog.logo designs
ReplyDelete