It doesn't say so in the poem, but this is about a woman in the 1870's whose husband never returned from fighting in the American Civil War. What side they were on is up to you.
A Cage of Willows
Long with time in an evening gown,
She wears a silken blindfold,
It shields her eyes
From her lovers gaze,
So his image time may erode.
A lover in her own vault,
Praying at an ancient altar,
Paying fealty to her feelings.
Still chained to the slavery of love
And the caring names he called her.
Queitly she'll rest there
In a cage of willows white.
A darling of yesterday,
Clutching flowering bars
That hold her wrists and ankles tight.
"Love, oh love, that wretched thing
That holds me to this day."
But the fading beauty
It haunts her still,
And she can never look away.
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This poem is intense and quite touching!
ReplyDeletedeep, deep poem
ReplyDelete"Still chained to the slavery of love
And the caring names he called her"
love it, thanks for sharing man
Thanks! :D
ReplyDeleteA heartfelt and more traditional style of poem, I was particularly struck by the imagery of:
ReplyDelete"Clutching flowering bars
That hold her wrists and ankles tight"
A promising piece of work! :)