Part 1: The Promise
That his lost wife wrote
He found under his pillow
When in the afternoon he awoke.
His heart grew weak as he read her final thoughts
Her last words about the son she lost
And the promise that she broke.
But it sends him right
Back to that lovely night
When they felt each other’s love
And gave each other light
But he tears up when he remembers the deed
The love he felt then, seems now like greed
Her promise he would recite.
‘Our life together, darling, has just begun
And I would be honored if you had our son.’
He was her man and she was his lady
And so he asked her to have his baby.
Neither hesitated.
She laid on the floor
As the blood poured
She felt the one inside
Would live no more
And she was crying for help and she called everyone.
Thinking that someone could save her son.”
The promise laid on the ground torn
The shame she had
When he took her hand
In the hospital room
But he made no demand
And when he first entered she wouldn’t even lock
Her eyes with his, she just turned toward the wall
Thinking the promise, she would damn.
But she looked in time
With her tearing eyes
She wanted to see him
The one she was denied
And when she did her world was shattered and put in submission
It was black and bloody and in the fetal position.
Her promise was a lie.
‘Our life, my darling, had just begun.
I only need my girl and I don’t need a son.’
He said this, but he could not hide his pain
He knew that their love would never be the same
Neither reiterated.
And alas one evening
While he was dreaming
She’d lay in the tub
Her wrists slashed and bleeding
And when he saw the result his heart receded
It tore apart when her wrists stopped bleeding.
The promise she was relieving.
And after the police went
And after the trial
After the search of his house
And long after denial
That’s when he found her letter of regret.
Buried under his pillow so he couldn’t neglect.
But then arose a devious smile.
‘Our life, my darling, has just begun.
All I have to do is save some of your blood.’
He knew a man who could restore her life
Half of this woman would still be half of his wife.
Shockingly, he never hesitated.”
-Fin-
My Son
Part 2: The Note Beneath His Pillow
I made a promise but it went to waste
The lovely day when we became one
And the lovely night when we planned our son
But now I’ve never felt so low before
I don’t want to look in your eyes anymore
I saw your pain when you heard the news
We asked God for another but he must have refused
And all I wanted was to carry your name.
Now I hide my head in shame
And your face that day in my mind remains
I’m not even a woman anymore.
The one that I knew could carry my soul
The one who could shield me from the cold
You lent me all that you had inside
I tried to give him to you, you know that I tried
I saw you crying as I came to
Losing myself was all I could do
I never looked right at you again
I regret it now, since you needed a friend
And all I wanted was to carry your name.
Now I hide my head in shame
And your face that day in my mind remains
I’m not even a woman anymore.
And I was wallowing and rolling in the pool of blood
The rivers that originated from me would flood
All I tasted and felt was the death
Of my baby boy who would never have breath
I cried for you, baby; I cried for you in fright
Years went by in that one horrid night
Would we ever be the same? Would we ever smile?
Would I ever get over it? Am I too fragile?
And all I wanted was to carry your name.
Now I hide my head in shame
And your face that day in my mind remains
I’m not even a woman anymore.
Things are a little more clearer now
There is a sense of peace in the solution I found
Strange I choose to bathe in blood
Again, it might as well be mud
And soon I’ll rest in the dirt with the worms
And never again feel this heart that burns
I may be letting you down again
But it’s only one more time, you were my very best friend
And all I wanted was to carry your name.
Now I hide my head in shame
And your face that day in my mind remains
I’m not even a woman anymore.”
My Son
Part 3: Half of Her Life
“The being, he’s been waiting for has just opened her eyes
There was a feeling of dread, but not a look of surprise
He knew her at first site but she did not know his face
He had his work cut out for him, her memory to replace
A man who was a monster had perfected an art
To bring back the dead and do it with just one body part
Her husband had brought in a container of red
And there was no touch of guilt or second thought in his head
He would have her love
The one who went away
The one who made a promise
Half of her, the body, but the mind decayed
And as the weeks past, he fed her the past
But the scars on her wrists were given no fact
He said that she must got them from broken windows or barbed wire
The blood covered furniture and clothes went into the fire
She ate it all up and her husband was content
He didn’t have it all, but it was worth what he spent
But every so often his memory took him to
The horrible consequences of the life he would choose
But he would still have her love
And he would get her back slowly
She would forget her promise
Half of her, man-made, and surely unholy
But she always grew restless when he wasn’t around
That when she closed her eyes and tried hard no explanation was found
Then wandered into a room where the standing mirror was stashed
And too her surprise, it wasn’t her in the glass
But it looked as if it was a younger look-a-like
And the image moved it lips, spoke and had a voice like a spike
She would show off her arms and reveal no scars
And she’d tell her of the real reason that her memories depart
“He just wanted your love
Did he mention your son?
I can see not by the look in your eyes”
Half of her, other in the mirror, she couldn’t shun
She confronted her husband with the story she heard
And he just stood still and spoke not a word
And without even thinking twice gathered all the mirrors
And locked them in the basement to hide from his fears
And in fury he jumped on her, strangled her, bashed her head.
But you know you can’t kill what is already dead
The tears in his eyes, he couldn’t bare that she knew the truth
He passed out from exhaustion and she took him to his room
He just wanted her love
And now it was falling apart
But she wandered to the basement of mirrors
Half and half brought together from the dark
He awoke and the memories came back
So slow he had to catch his breath
But he heard laughing in the dining room
He rushed into to see pictures of a bride and groom
His lovely wife regained her mind
And forgave her love for she knew he meant right
And they sat together and laughed without shivers
Looking for hours at wedding pictures
He just wanted her love
And he had found it at last
The deeds may have been in sin
More or less, who’s to guess
With or without a son
They sealed their love with a kiss
Because the promise was built on their love
Two halves, sown together, at the wrists”
-FIN-
© Delia Ross. 2010
(Special thanks to Dustin Hiatt. RIP)
PoeEternal 