Seen better days.
Scene. Bitter days…
A lot of rot
about what makes
a home —
a home life —
a home like the one this has been.
Enter. The father, worse for wear. A has-been.
What is left
when whitewash
won’t cover
what ate away
“us”?
A key truth
in all this
is my failure
turning
our love…
Exeunt all but REGRET.
Leaving
the door ajar.
No Fanfare. No reentry.
* * *
Life in Portofino 
Exit stage left, and bring the curtain down.
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Sounds a bit like Snagglepuss. …or was that exit stage right?
Thank you for reading!
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Indeed, I watched Snagglepuss as a child and have been saying that since then, continuously. Perhaps some day I’ll evolve beyond the mind of a 7 yr old. 😛
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I like the better/bitter mirror. OK, no. The bitter mirror is difficult to look in. Well done.
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Whipping up a batch of the better bitter butter batter before baking a loaf. Speaking of loafing, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
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And a happy better bitter butterball turkey day to you too! (OK, no again. Bad plan) Happy Thanksgiving!
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Wow…James Bond is your Dad !!
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I’m not sure I get that. But then I haven’t seen a Bond film since I was a kid.
But I’ll take it as a compliment. Thank you!
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Nice drama, Charley. A downer on the star, a father who failed. Our gr8daughter is in her second year of junior high drama classes. We attended the dress rehearsal for her latest play, she is the pufferfish, a speaking part. We are proud of her, she may be following her sister’s steps who has a double major at Georgetown U in Math and Theatre. (Also has a Masters degree in Math). I learned a new word here, “exeunt”, I’m sure our new star knows this. I’ll brag on myself to her. 😉
..
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Give due credit to the Bard (I stole it from Will… who probably stole it…). Sounds like you’ve spawned a generation of over-achievers. Be sure to claim the credit!
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Some excellent word craft and play in this Charley with a metaphor deeper than splinters in a hand!! Love this!!
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Yeah, I have a knack for splinters (poetic or otherwise), and that photo had “splinters written all over it. True, I had to print it and find a Sharpie…. Glad you enjoyed it!
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This gives me shivers! Ghost story of a marriage…
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Yes. My favorite Thomas Hardy poem, “The Self-Unseeing” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52313/the-self-unseeing is very much like a ghost story of relationship. Thank you!
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A sad tale told artfully in few words. Seen bitter days….what a nice play on words! Well written!
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Dark and final Charley, but uncomfortably familiar. Strong write my friend!
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Thank you! It required few words… and a little blood.
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First, thanks for the link to the Hardy poem–he has a flavor that is difficult to define as tasting good, but is addictive anyway. Your own poem is deft with some difficult issues also, but clean and sharp as surgery. Regret is a staple in my own closet, and the doors that are supposed to open when another one closes never quite take me away from it, as is the feeling in this poem, true to life, true to memory.
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Thank you very much!
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No scrim, no filter … it reminds me of an HBO series I am addicted to ~ Succession. Hard to watch, cannot look away.
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That’s how poetry should be… though maybe without the HBO part. LOL! I’m glad it has worked its magic. Thank you for reading!
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“A key truth
in all this
is my failure
turning
our love…”
very clever wording in this. I see a play afoot!
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