Monday

Caught to the Quick – A Rhymed Retelling of a Photo Most Compelling


(Written upon request of One Single Impression’s “stranded” prompt, Read-Write-Poem’s “aunt” prompt and Sunday Scribblings’ “photo” prompt)


Caught to the Quick –
A Rhymed Retelling of a Photo Most Compelling

Digging through a dusty pile
In the attic, made me smile.
There, a photo of Aunt Mae
Took my every breath away.

In the image was my kin,
Stuck in quicksand, to her chin.
Sinking slowly, ever deeper,
Aunt Mae met the old Grim Reaper.

To my shock, I knew the truth.
Folks had lied throughout my youth.
Poor Aunt Mae, the little dear,
Died not from a flu severe.

Mae had fallen for a man,
With a frontier purchase plan.
Leaving all at his behest,
She had followed him out West.

They had quarreled by the fire;
He departed, rotten liar.
Mae hitched up the wagon team,
Then she heard an eerie scream.

The horses fled; the wagon tipped.
Mae lost her footing, and she slipped.
In the mire, my Auntie kicked,
But not before a camera clicked.

Now, in the attic, I was shocked
To learn how Aunt Mae’s world was rocked.
Her secret romance, journey planned,
Was stranded there in deep quicksand.



Love poetry? Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

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11 comments:

  1. I love "In the mire my auntie kicked, but not before the camera clicked." well done!

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  2. Funny! You've made a morbid tale amusing. Well done.

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  3. "Sink or swim"
    was Auntie's motto
    til she turned
    forever blotto.

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  4. That was a lot of fun, to be sure! You're very clever. Thanks for participating. (I'd love to hear from the photographer, too!)
    Writing in Faith: Poems

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  5. What fun! Poor Aunt Mae! Thank God the truth is finally out.

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  6. Well, that was fun! Enjoyed it very much! I am left here stranded for more! Great piece!

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  7. an interesting twist on the prompt! that photo is worth a thousand words for sure!

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  8. Crazy photo, and a fun black humor sort of poem.

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  9. I cracked up! This is so great and imaginative. Who else would've thought of this? It is black as another commenter mentioned, but so much fun.

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  10. What a great imagination you have! This was lots of fun.

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