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Midnight Toll
The pendulum swings left to right
The second hand continues its journey undeterred
Tick-tock, tick-tock
The face of the Grandfather clock stares
His heart beats time, his blood flows
His eyes blink, he breaths
Inhale, exhale
His chair rocks to and fro
The face of Grandfather stares
She stands by his side with shawl wrapped tight
Trembling hands caress old brow
Murmuring reassurance from unconvinced lips
Swaying in time on this ill-fated night
Mother weeps
At the top of the stairs, in the attic she lay
Labor and contraction, knuckles turned white
In the dim light of candles, casting flickering shadows
Bleeding sheets, and tearing pain
Daughter screams in the night
The pendulum swings left to right
The minute hand lands, marking 11:59
As the second hand continues on
Tick-tock, tick-tock
The grandfather clock glared
His heart is still, his blood gone cold
His eyes fix open, and breath exhaled
The rocking of the chair has settled
The face of grandfather grows pale
She falls to her knees, her countenance is shorn
From her depths a lament howl
Echoes through hollow halls
Enshrouded in grief, her shawl is torn
Mother wails
From uppermost room, death is rent
By the piercing cry of bloody new life
Pulled from darkness into light
Nestled against swollen breast
Daughters face, a conflict of agony and elation
The second hand ticks
Grandfather clock strikes the hour
Midnight tolls, pulsing through the house
Bells ring, sounding rebounding reverberating
The first signaling the end
The twelfth announcing the beginning
Mourning and celebration
The end of night, the start of a new day
Comments
- Author
Thank you for visit Saria.
This is brilliant, the last line clears what the main idea was behind the poem, superb
- Author
Thank you very much Lurana.
This is really amazing work. I love way the story is told....the clock, the bolded starting words, the active verbs beginning the lines, the mood...it all works together powerfully. ~Lurana
Well, Wayne... I can say only a woman can truly appreciate how this 'feels', but you're a dad... you understand ;-)
- Author
Thank you very much Cat. Only a woman could ever truly comprehend the experience.
Wayne,
I shudder to think this one almost got by me! This is absolutely wonderful; any woman who has bore a child or any man who has anxiously anticipated his child's birth, can truly understand the significance in this. Beautiful!
Cat
- Author
Thank you Ed. I appreciate the visit.
Really nice contrast of two moods, the clock I really effective too. Up!
- Author
Good morning Suzette. I appreciate your visit and your encouraging comments. Thank you!
Beautiful poem and images. You paint a great picture of the event happening. The clock metaphor is wonderful also. Great realism and nuance.
- Author
Thank you, Jose! Good to talk to you!
I love the paradox in this.
- Author
Thank you again Deb for the kind words.
The midnight hour was a perfect time to pick, as things can go either way. You wrote a wonderful poem!
- Author
Thank you very much Anna.
Your poem was filled with suspense and had me wondering where it was heading.
The sights, sounds and touch all created a very real scene.
Great writing, I felt the atmosphere and I liked the time theme running right through :)
- Author
Thank you very much for the visit Shanmarie.
- Author
Thank you for the visit Leslie, and I hope you are having a wonderful Mothers Day!
Wow! How suspenseful. It reads with a sense of urgency right to the end where there is at least some sense of relief.
- Author
Thank you Rasma. Happy Mothers Day!
Absolutely engrossing! Found myself leaning forward to read every word!
i found out i was pregnant with my first - immediately after my mother in law passed away...
i found out i was pregnant with my second - immediately after my grandmother passed..
i am a deep believer in the cycle of life...
voting/sharing
- Author
Colin you entertain me with your comments almost as much as you do your writing.The Who, Metallica and Bieber all mentioned in the same sentence...LOL! As always it's a pleasure whenever you stop by!
- Author
Thank you Vellur
Voted up and awesome. I could just hear that grandfather clock striking.
Powerful! Great poem.
This had it all Sir Wayne:
A brand new Epi-man top ten for you:
10. Suspense
9. tremendous narrative writing
8. as told in perfect poetic form
7. I shall never look at a pendulum
6. or a grandfather clock in the same way again
5. I just shite in my old man diapers
4. Thank god I didn't read this just before bed
3. I must turn the lights back on
2. and know it was just a story
1. and play something fookin' loud and life affirming like The Who, Metallica or Justin Bieber
lake erie time 9:22pm and damn, you can out-Poe the Poe!
- Author
Thank you very much Eddy.
- Author
Thank you dear Deborah. And may you have a wonderful Mothers Day!
- Author
Thank you Faith. And Happy Mothers Day!
Wonderful for sure.
Eddy.
- Author
Thank you very much, Sha.
Wayne .. wow is all I can say.. I held my breath through every word.. outstanding.. there is death and then new birth..
blessings my friend
debbie
- Author
Thank you dear Nellieanna.
- Author
Thank you Cris. I appreciate your generous compliments and your support.
- Author
Thank you very much Jennifer.
Wow, wayne, this is stunning work here. You are one amazing writer. I am glad to finally be following you. This is totally gripping from beginning to elated end!
Whew, your words made me perspire thinking back to giving birth!
Voted up ++++ and sharing
God bless, Faith Reaper
What an awesome yet sublime tribute to Motherhood, Wayne. Very well done!
- Author
Thank you Frank. I think our minds work alike in any ways so i always look forward to hearing from you, and reading your work. Have a great weekend!
- Author
thank you very much Romeos!
Amazing story! The imagery is frighteningly, profoundly effective. What a relief to realize the 'whole story' at the end.
What a profound piece. You reminded me of the book "The Time Keeper" by Mitch Albom.
"The end of night, the start of a new day" -- I like this line.
Astounding hub I must say. Up+++ and sharing.
One life in and one life out....the circle continues. Beautifully portrayed with your words!
wow it just seems that your words are touched by that natural dazzle.. this is Poe like bravo :)
What a great poem....the first half carried the gravity of a dark sense of mysterious forboding,not knowing what to expect,then the twist in the latter half,revealing the preceding moments before a new birth.A great tension builder.Thumbs Up!
Yours Sincerely,
R.Q.
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