A friend's ear

[JoelJosol]

A friend's ear is a kitchen sink where I puke,

throwing up all the bitterness and indigestible

vocabulary others made me eat.

 

It is also a toilet bowl I defecate on,

discharging all my anger-filled thoughts.

His nose does not flinch from its stench.

 

When I am done purging, he flushes them out

the public sewer system, wiping away clean

all stains from sink and bowl.

[goldenlangur]

^Purging

 

 

Hello JoelJoso,

 

Such vividly palpable details of emotions in this poem and you've used these images to give an original and unusual slant to friendship.

 

What comes across is the enduring strength of the "friend" who absorbs all the bitterness, fears, doubts of the poet without judgment - the "kitchen sink" parallel works very well here - available, accommodating and patient.

 

Then again the "toilet bowl" detail again evokes that calm, non-judgmental, passive acceptance of the poet's "stench" of thoughts and emotions.

 

The exorcising role of the friend in both images is very well drawn out.

 

 

The unflinching language is effective in conveying the depth of feeling, and the nobility of the friend - one in a million!

 

 

goldenlangur

[Aleksandra]

Joel I like this piece. It is so interesting written. I like this way of writing and seems hard for me with English as second language, to play with those kinds of expressions.

 

Thank you for sharing

 

Aleksandra

[Tinker]

Joel, You certainly don't hold back. It is not a pretty poem but definitely a keeper. Well done.

 

~~Tink

[tonyv]

I like how you use the more powerful poetic device, the metaphor, in lieu of simile in this poem. A raw, powerful write. He is a friend indeed!

 

Tony

[JoelJosol]

Thank you, GL, Alek, Tink, and Tony. I asked my officemates to read it, they were initially repulsed because of the diction. I'm glad you saw through it.