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Loose Lips

We're taking on water

By D.K. ShepardPublished 5 months ago 1 min read
Loose Lips
Photo by Matteo Miliddi on Unsplash

“What’s wrong?” you ask with pale concern. You swirl

The contents of your cup. “Nothing,” I say.

You look at me, not buying it, brow furled,

“What? Are you mad at me?” I turn away,

***

“No,” but then, “Well, I’m trying not to be.”

And I am trying, just not succeeding.

You twirl a strand of hair and sip slowly,

you don’t speak; the silence does the asking,

***

But I say nothing. I mean, how can I?

Admitting that I expected those words

from anyone but you, my mouth goes dry.

Anyone else and they wouldn’t have mattered.

***

They marched out between your ivory teeth though,

so in the green tint of fluorescent light,

the cracks widen, I let the quiet grow,

letting it pull the ship down, out of sight.

sad poetry

About the Creator

D.K. Shepard

Character Crafter, Witty Banter Enthusiast, World Builder, Unpublished novelist...for now

Fantasy is where I thrive, but I like to experiment with genres for my short stories. Currently employed as a teacher in Louisville.

dkshepard.com

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Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

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  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

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    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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Comments (9)

  • Priscilla Bettis4 months ago

    The words we say to one another are so powerful, either in a hurtful or a loving way. Excellent poem!

  • Gabriel Huizenga4 months ago

    This is so heavy- beautifully and powerfully evoked, D.K.!

  • TheSpinstress4 months ago

    Wow, this is really powerful. Some things, once said or done, really can't be taken back.

  • L.C. Schäfer5 months ago

    Oh no, can nothing be salvaged from it??

  • Rachel Deeming5 months ago

    Oh no. Relationship as a sinking ship. This was sad, D.K..

  • Ah that pain is wayyyyy too relatable. Loved this!

  • Bonnie Bowerman5 months ago

    This was so moving. So well written! Well done!

  • ‘Loose lips sink ships’ is a favourite saying of a friend of mine… Such a good poem with great last line.

  • Alex H Mittelman 5 months ago

    Sink ships? Great work!

D.K. ShepardWritten by D.K. Shepard

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