I'm puking blood.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

I heard the spray paint through the wall.



Twice.


Psssst, tsp.

Psssst, tsp.



The sound of a red X.

That means nothing's wrong.
Here, it's all okay.
We're all okay here.
In the attic.
and I'll just rest a moment.




It feels so good.



Before the paint I heard.

My mother ask me to care for Dad

And breathe her last.

My father ask for water.

And breathe his last.

I heard my sobs from far away.

Even though the water rose.

I heard the lapping
Slowly still.

I heard the flies
and far off dogs
searching for their masters.

Oww! Owwwwww!
I relate.

I heard the silence.

I heard helicopters.

I heard time.
No ticking, no Big Ben.
It crept into my bones.

Lay me down, lay me down.
Sweet Jesus, Lay me down.

I heard the splashes of feet and legs
Coming toward the house.

My heart jumped,

They're finally coming. They're coming.

I heard legs and feet
Splashing through my house.

They're here. Thank God, they're here.

I heard the sighs.

I heard them leave.

Thank God, I'm finally safe.

I heard spray paint through the wall.

I think I'll stay here for a while.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. okay, thanks anyway.

[progmom]

2. very touching

:hug: thanks for sharing that. it was beautiful.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. YW...

Peace.

[Tom Kitten]

3. holy shit

:cry: :pals:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. Thx.

Pass it on.

[ulysses]

5. damn, man.

!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. Hey, Uly! Go to Manuel's this weekend for me!

[ulysses]

9. sorry,

but I left it on the field this week. I'm going to be sitting on my tuckus, except for when CatWoman is here. :hi:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

13. Well, then Give CW a big hug for me then,

Have a good weekend.

[Ptah]

7. Thank you for that.

:)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

14. Thanks for noticing.

It was cathartic for me at least.

[blondeatlast]

10. Incredible; the power of the language. That was extraordinary.

Are you published? You should be.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

23. Here and there.

Unfortunately, not enough to make a living on.

[blondeatlast]

11. This is front page stuff, DU. Can we get some noms here? nt

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. Thanks, Blondeatlast.

Peace.

[iconoclastic cat]

12. I could have done without that.

Not that it wasn't well-written, because it was.

[BikeWriter]

15. So freaking tragic! Recommended!

[Bluebear]

17. Holy cannoli

That means nothing's wrong....

This is art.

[I Have A Dream]

18. Thank you for this, TYJ! Recommmended. n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Oh my holy god....

This is incredibly good....you write for a living?

Somebody big needs to notice you, if you haven't been yet...

Thank you so much for this...it gets to the absolute heart of the matter...

I CANNOT recommend this one highly enough...


:kick:

Bookmarked for future readings....

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

20. Thanks so much...

There's not much of a living for poets or shor story writers today in America...

It's what I went to school for and aspired for...

But I gave up and got into the cogs of industry, so here is where any work of mine gets seen.


Thank you so much.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

21. So when I read this I was picturing a 12-year-old boy

I am in tears.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

25. Just to clarify

I was picturing the character in the poem as a child in the attic - not the author of this magnificent poem.

[Tsiyu]

22. Saw this earlier and didn't know you wrote it.

Moving and telling all at the same time. :thumbsup:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

24. Thanks

[psychopomp]

26. Thanks

Abandoned... what a terrible shame!

[Redstone]

27. Wonderful writing, but it needs a different title.

The title is MUCH too jarring, especially when compared with the lyricism and flow of the text; furthermore, there's no expiation of the title within the body of the work.

Just a suggestion.

Redstone

[Straight Shooter]

29. I agree.

I thought he put that in the thread title to get our attention :shrug:

[Redstone]

30. But it's too harsh, even as an attention-getter, and does not

do justice to the body of the writing.

Redstone

[TallahasseeGrannie]

34. I agree about the title

I thought it was the guy writing about his wisdom teeth. It was very moving. Good work.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

32. The actual title is After the Storm

Thanks for the comments.

[Straight Shooter]

28. The New Yorker.

Send it to them. I've seen total crap prose in their mag, and occasionally a heart-stopping gem such as you've written.

Please submit it to The New Yorker. :thumbsup:

[Ouabache]

35. I agree

send it in.

[melody]

31. superb

Wonderful, evocative work. Thanks for sharing it.

[khashka]

33. Cheer the fuck up, dude

This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house oh it's such fun
We've come to play in the happy house
and waste a day in the happy house-it never rains

We've come to scream in the happy house We're in a dream in the happy house
We're all quite sane

This is the happy house-we're happy here There's room for you if you say "I do"
but don't say no or you'll have to go
we've done no wrong with our blinkers on It's safe and calm if you sing along

This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house. To forget ourselves-and pretend all's well There is no hell.


Khash.

[Tallison]

36. Sounds like a verse from

"Paisley Park" (which is one of Prince's best, IMO).