Laying the Blues Down

Published on by Tosha Michelle

image

I’m tired of dragging my
hurts round like a stick
along jail cell bars.

And my tune always broken,
and the warden always asking
for some change.

Let me lie down on a cot,
or in the middle of the floor
and scatter my grievances
and self abuse all around.

And wait for another inmate
with a bottle of whiskey
and harmonica, who knows
how to play the blues, to
come and sit down beside me

And we’ll harmonize our angst
like pressing a finger to a bleeding wound.

And our hearts may be broken organs,
but we’ll pluck a banjo from it’s strings.

And we’ll sing until the night
opens for us like a door.

And let our song carry us as
far as the sky will go or, at least
to Chicago or St. Louis.

There we’ll swallow snowmelt, and
take our self doubt underground.

Finally laying those
melancholy blues down.

-Tosha Michelle

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48 thoughts on “Laying the Blues Down”

  6. And we’ll harmonize our angst
    like pressing a finger to a bleeding wound.

    The lines above me are vivid and surreal.
    We sometimes get frustrated and mad that we feel
    like dipping our fingers right in our wounds to keep us in the comfort of our own pain. Beautifully well done.

    And our hearts may be broken organs,
    but we’ll pluck a banjo from it’s strings.

    So incredibly well illustrated. Our broken hearts the veins want to be connected with the cavity the metaphor of banjo and strings superb! and awesomely well done work.

    To me this would be a masterpiece of writing. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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  7. If you are escaping to someplace far like Chicago, could you come just a bit further to Minneapolis? 😉 If the authorities come looking for you, I’ll hide you at my lake house.

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. love this, takes one into the music of life, and the interplay of words is tantalizing. When I read organs, it reminded me of a biology test that I had not studied for well enough, and the question came up what is an .organelle, not knowing the answer I wrote, a small electric organ, often played in rock bands, which i thought was very clever, unfortunately the biology teacher did not, and I got to spend yet more time in detention for my effort! Stay well, heal all those hurts, and lots of blessings, Charles.

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. Have you had 23 lock-downs a day, tosha?

    i’ve been there…

    i see that you didn’t favour “blood contract”

    i waited on that street corner for half a day, waiting for a car, which i had thought was my gift for the contract… As they watch me for two years, without me knowing, until approaching me because they couldn’t understand how it was i came to my solutions, so the alternative was to buy me…

    Believe what you may, i didn’t until that night as we made arrangements..

    i am now for going another science project relating to myself, which has proven as i have inspected an better!

    chris

    Liked by 1 person

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