melissaahowells - OUTER SHELL

IN SUMMERTIME
MY OUTER SHELL
IS BERRY BROWN
MY COFFEE COLOR PERKS
IN THE STEAMY HEAT

IN WINTER
MY OUTER SHELL PALES
AND I SLEEP WITH THE SNOWS
WAITING

MORTAR AND BRICK BUILDINGS
ARE NOT TENTS AND TEEPEES
I HIDE MY NATURE
WITHIN MY SHELL

AND SOMETIMES
FROM MYSELF

ITS UNWISE TO LISTEN
TO FALSE ELDERS
AND REHEARSE THE LIES
IN MY HEAD

BLEND IN
KEEP A CIVIL TONGUE
DO NOT STAND FOR YOURSELF ALONE
BUT SMILE
AND COMPETE AND SHINE

BUT I AM NOONE'S SUN
BUT MY OWN

IN WINTER
ITS COLD IN THE LATE AFTERNOONS

I OFTEN SCALE
THE HIGHER OUTER BANKS
THE ALLEY WAYS
THE SPACES BETWEEN THE CLIPPED HEDGEROWS
AND SOLID FENCES

I FEEL WEDGED IN
BUT I MUST DO THIS
THERE IS A NECESSSITY FOR THIS
A SECRET
WHICH I DON'T SHARE
WITH ANYONE

IN SUMMER
I THINK ON THE DEEP CHILL
WITHIN AND WITHOUT
OF
THE BRICK/MORTAR BUILDINGS
STIFF WALLS OF COLD
AND OF WINTER LURKING
AROUND THE CORNER OF MY MIND
SPREADING ITS WHITE FINGERS OUT
AND LEERING

THERE WAS A DOG
WHO ONCE WAS MY DOG
WHO LIVED IN A FRAIL OUTSIDE HOUSE
NEAR THE STREET
WITH NO SHELTER FROM THE WIND
HIS ONLY BLANKET
A BLANKET OF BLOWN SNOW

THE DOG I LOVED
DIED HERE
FROZEN AND FORGOTTEN IN THE SNOW

WE BOUGHT AND LIVED IN THAT CAST-OFF HOUSE
OF THE PROUD RICH DOCTOR
WHERE MY DOG DIED
HIS SPOILED CHILDREN FORGOT HIM
TIRED OF HIM
IGNORED HIS PAIN

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND
THESE OTHER-PEOPLE
WITH HOLES IN THE HEARTS
AND COMFORT ALWAYS WITHIN THEIR GRASP
I DO NOT WANT TO UNDERSTAND

ONE DAY I WILL HAVE THE COURAGE
TO SPIT IN THEIR FACES
THEN TURN MY SOLID BACK ON THEM
AND TURN WALKING AWAY
IN MY BARE FEET IN THE SNOW.

LEGAL COPYRIGHT FOR THIS POEM 10:08AM PST 9/14/2021
(I BEGAN WRITING THIS YESTERDAY AND REVISED TODAY TO
WRITE DOWN HERE.) AND ALSO FOR THIS LEGALLY COPYRIGHTED
WRITER/POET MELISSA A. HOWELLS....AND ALSO FOR THIS
LEGALLY COPYRIGHTED AND REGISTERED SITE TITLE NAME:
MELOO STRAIGHT FROM HER TILT-A-WORLD.

THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM MY WORLD. THE DOG HAD A NAME BOOTSY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY TOOK THAT AWAY FROM HIM TOO. THE DOCTOR
WAS A HIGHLY PAID SURGEON WITH A SPECIFIC SPECIALTY. HE REPAIRED
CRUSHED LIMBS. IRONIC ISN'T IT...HOW HE COULD TAKE SO MUCH CARE
FOR CRUSHED HANDS AND OTHER BONES OF THE HUMAN BODY...BUT HE COULD
CRUSH THE SOUL A A HOPEFUL DOG FREEZING OUTSIDE IN THE SNOW.
HE IS STILL ALIVE AND 91 YEARS OLD. KARMA IS COMING FOR HIM, I HOPE.