Monday, November 29, 2010

One Shot - Stone Man


No super human feat this
turning man into stone.
Simple comments garbled by hardened hearing
cause an avalanche of negative emotion.
Withdrawn to the cave for companionship
of the familiar singularity,
Stone Man builds his walls.
Rock by rock.
Mortar filled.
He surrounds himself with ignorance
and self deception.
Jaw tightly shut as a concrete barrier
no words can escape to help soften Stone Man's
prison of hard headedness.

A touch.
Kind words.
Knock at the walls
and the rock exterior.
Cracks begin.
Rocks shatter to dust.
Stone Man emerges - human.
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30 comments:

Matty said...

Never underestimate the power of kind words. And kindness. It has destroyed many barriers.

Claudya Martinez said...

I'd love to give him a hug.

Anonymous said...

Words can do so much; powerful visual you've provided here of both the good and the bad.

Brian Miller said...

you know...this is poignant on so many levels...easy to slip into...nice one shot!

Bubba said...

Words can move mountains.



This reminded me of something i thought-up awhile back:

He was stoned like Easter Island.

Tabor said...

I like this image and this writing...but I can't help but feel the solution is too easy. I think sometimes you need a mallet to knock on the door.

Caty said...

sometimes it just takes a nice gesture or someone kind to break through another's walls. This was great.

Fay Campbell said...

That's really nice. Watch out, you're losing your knuckle dragging ability fast.

Enchanted Oak said...

It all starts with that garbled "hardened" hearing. My pop had a saying for that problem.
"I know you know that you think you know what I said, but what you think you know I said isn't what I said at all."
I know someone exactly like this Stone Man. Were you at my house the other night with a recording device?

L.L. Barkat said...

"Stone Man builds his walls"

yes, that he does.

dustus said...

Profound and stated with a fluid tact... "Withdrawn to the cave for companionship / of the familiar singularity," ...raising the walls of alienation. A great write

Anonymous said...

{squeaks} you talk'ng 'bout me? :)
Stone Man, Stone Woman, given a little kindness will always emerge human... great one shot, MM!

SuziCate said...

Never know what reaching out can do for someone...esp. stone man.

Anonymous said...

words can build up or tear down. Powerful:)

Anonymous said...

I love this. So difficult to tear those walls down, but it can be done.

Teresa

Sandra said...

Bravo! Bravo!
I'm so glad I'm following you. Honestly, you have such talent, I find myself delighted every single time I come to read you.
...and no, I'm not being a pimpin' bi-otch! I mean every word.

hedgewitch said...

Had me swinging several different ways, picturing this and that, figuring it all out. Good resolution at the end. read it twice and I'd read it again any time. Nice one shot.

Anonymous said...

Break through the layers - you never know what you might find beneath. Sometimes we wall ourselves off (or are walled off) so much, we deny ourselves so much more...and that's why we must just keep reaching, never stop trying to free others from their alienation. Words have as much power to save as they do destroy. Fine work.

Brock S. Henning said...

From an image of only gray and stone, I felt so much more dynamics through your choice of words. Good stuff.

budh.aaah said...

Dont you just want to tear those walls down

Claudia said...

how kind words can make our walls break down...very nice monkey man

Chris said...

I love the transformation aspect of this. I was actually thinking abut something similar the other night while walking home from the subway, how no one can really be human alone. It's only with others and through our interactions that we can really be human. Love it.

izzy said...

I especially like the end! thanks-

M G Reignier said...

The work a process of building walls and tearing them down, much like the life you describe.

PattiKen said...

Behind the hard, cold exterior, there often lives a sad and lonely heart. Kind words are often the key to unlock the door to humanity.

Nice one, MM.

Dulçe ♥ said...

WOW you are really good Monkey MAn. ying and yang and... so it is

Steve Isaak said...

Good verse-slinging, with a nice turnabout at the finish.

Anonymous said...

A harsh word can damage the softest of souls.. A kind word can change the hardest of 'em!

I am glad the Stone Man became human again.. I hope he stays thus..

A lovely poem of human psyche, MM.. very poignant!

Shashidhar Sharma said...

I liked it very much and the image accompanying is powerful too.. I loved the words 'he surrounded himself with ignorance..' perfect..
thanks

ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

Marla said...

"prison of hard headedness"

brilliant