he summoned his interns with a whistle
a unique call for each
you wished to see his remains
go up a chimney or off a cliff
his drinking habit had ripped the family
and split their fortune
but he continued to drill pits
and cover decay with porcelain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written for The Sunday Whirl. The words this week are wish, porcelain, split, cliff, whistle, rip, chimney, habits, drilled, six, fortunes, drink, pit. There are thirteen words this week and I decided to use twelve words, in some form. I could have used the work six as the number of interns, but decided the poem flowed better without it.
Later, Miss Slater 
To cover decay with porcelain.. I love that image… So strong.
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Thank you, Bjorn. Happy Sunday to you!
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Sharp! Bold!Revealingly! Also like opening image.
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Thank you, humbird. It did take boldness to post.
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Your last couplet is strong, and makes me dread my dentist. 😉
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Sorry for the dread, Brenda. Appreciate your visit and comment. 🙂
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You have packed a powerful story into a handful of words!
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Thanks you! I appreciate your visit and comment.
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Sabra, I saw the Whirl words, tried to conjure something, and boom. Nada. You take the same list and describe the exquisite torture of the alcoholic father’s children. And on Father’s Day. That is not a knock at all – Father’s Day is not a time of celebration for me, maybe that’s why I connected so much.
Your speaker’s fantasies of the cliff, etc., are so real. Then using the words as dental procedures (drill, pits, and porcelain), well, let’s just say you blew me away! Amy
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Thank you so much, Amy! Let’s say you made my day. 🙂
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This is an interesting use of the words this week, Sabra. This sounds like a drunken father/ dentist. Yikes. I hope that wasn’t the case.
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No, this wasn’t my father, Belva. So glad you visited!
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That is pretty powerful writing, Sabra. Well done.
Pamela ox
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Thank you, Pamela. Nice to see you here. 🙂
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Very well written and it flows smoothly through a highly evocative image. As a child, I hated the gruff, rough handling at the hands of our dentist. I think you describe him well.
Elizabeth
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/
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Thank you Elizabeth. I think we all dread the dentist and some are gruff, as you mentioned. I add that a few are also unethical, as is true in all professions. Thanks for your thought provoking comment.
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I am glad Amy saw the other meaning to the piece that must mirror so many lives. What an stunningly effective metaphor you have created here.
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Thank you so much, Oldegg. So glad to have your visit.
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This is tragic,especially the third line; but the last image – he covers decay with porcelain is chilling. It is an exquisite ending to this piece.
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Thank you so much, Imelda. I appreciate you visits and comment.
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not sure how good a man this is….calling me with a whistle would probably not go over well…ha…and wonder what started that drinking habit…and being willing to give up on everything….at least the job gives him some sense of worth….
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Not a good one, Brian. Thanks for your visit and comment.
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Wonderfully done, like the dentist angle.
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Thank you, Kathy. Yep, just wasn’t in me to write about tea cups.
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covering decay with porcelain… ha… probably can work for a while… it’s a cool image
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Thank you, Claudia. Yes, it works for awhile. Enjoyed your visit.
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What a wonderful metaphor..and the decay and tooth imagery so finely done..dreaming of losing your teeth is fear of loss of wealth I think
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Oh, I didn’t know that about dreaming…good to know. Thank you for your visit and comment, Jae Rose.
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Wow Sabra, as always, I am blown away by the depth of your poetry, raw emotion touched and thoughts to be pondered. Thank you for your incredible perspective.
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Thank you for your visit and comments, Lisa. Always honored to see you here.
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There really is a nice flow to this.
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Thank you, Irene!
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The title /angle is kinda unique.
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Thanks, Irene. I so appreciate your visit and comments. 🙂
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Amazing, in so few words you have written a complete character that could just spring out of the pages of a novel. Great stuff.
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Thank you, thank you, Becky. Love having you visit my blog.
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