Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Syrofoam Cup


limited: caffeine intake
from this Styrofoam cup
where the last gulp is my second
and the first a wake-up

call, aggressive
when you're down all night
trying to get comfortable
in that cold bed of white

noise, I'm a fetus
trying to stay warm
with heightened awareness
each move an alarm

clock, sleep's a dream
weak coffee, last hope
as sterile as this room
a Styrofoam cup



**
Poetic Inspiration~
Poetry Jam- The Last
PU Verse First- The Ordinary
3WW- aggressive, heighten, limited

33 comments:

Mary said...

Hard times, Laurie. Your situation and feelings are clear. Sometimes it is impossible to sleep. And that coffee in a Styrofoam cup sometimes is enough to make a person gag. Thoughts and prayers are with you along the way!

Debi Swim said...

I'm sorry Laurie, waiting is always hard but when it's (I think)a hospital room it is even worse. Prays for you, girl.

Susan said...

An amazing poem for stressful days... Thank you for taking the time to shape these words that will ring familiar to so many of us! For this "heightened awareness," the coffee too weak a crutch. I wish I was there to bring you a ceramic cup of home brew.
Limited, call, noise, clock--I like the lead in pause-on-me of every stanza, each a Styrofoam sip in a hospital room.

Fida Islaih said...

Wow! Something so simple can be so awesome! It's kind if saying be grateful for what you have, take a good advantage of it! So thank you for those beautiful words!

Bubba said...

I'm not a big fan of Styrofoam (kudos to you for correctly capitalizing the name, by the way) but it certain evokes a certain sterility.

Sheilagh Lee said...

sometimes that coffee will keep you awake but sometimes it's all the others things

TCPC said...

tough times. loved the sips..the last gulp is my second and first a wake - up. When time has no senses but for the cause and call that binds us. As if clock stops ticking.

Bethe77 said...

Yikes! I think I have been in this poem! Great write! Love it! A True capute of the struggles so many face daily. Prayers go up and may peace be found. Blessings

Gabriella said...

Stress, frustration and hopelessness are very tangible in your poem Laurie! And I can't think of any worse form of coffee than that found in a Styrofoam cup.

Vandana Sharma said...

Stay warm...

Peggy said...

Wow you really used the image of the styrofoam cup to convey a lot in this. The feelings are so vivid. Thanks for posting this.

Sumana Roy said...

great take on the prompts.......

Anonymous said...

Dreams of sleep- it is a hard situation to be in.
You have well expressed the emotions here.
Take care!
-HA

Unknown said...

simple never tasted so good

Sherry Blue Sky said...

A lot of emotion revealed through the use of this styrofoam cup - so well done, Laurie.

Jae Rose said...

Bleak..i can feel the creaking of the sheets and the cup..it is a harsh reality..yet beautifully written..hope that helps in some small way?

alan1704 said...

emotion, vivid reality and a heart that is crying. Life is fragile all there is sometimes is prayer and comfort.

Unknown said...

I will certainly look at a Styrofoam cup for more inspiration now! Had to smile at the second sip the last. Compared to the size of cups we can buy these days, you really are done in 2 sips from a Styrofoam cup of coffee!

Unknown said...

Laurie I understand too well
I hope that the writing and taking in of word images helps you stay sane.
Prayers for you as you hold yet another sterile cup.

Buddah Moskowitz said...

You never disappoint. I don't know what's been going on in your life but I feel the despair in this, God bless you and you elephant-sized talent.

Anonymous said...

a scary place all white and cold in a bed w/o warmth...here in America it's coffee...elsewhere in all situations have a cup of tea...don't think i'll ever think abt a Styrofoam cup and coffee the same blasé way....

aspiritofsimplicity said...

love those two sips...it's early evening here and I have a bit of Baileys and Kalhua in my decaf coffee...

Mary Ann Potter said...

So real and disconcertingly true! The bed imagery, cold and white, made this even more vivid.

Brian Miller said...

the bit about being a fetus got to me...bringing home the feel being there and feeling helpless as well....know you have my prayers...and i would bring you some decent coffee if i could.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

You got that right - a styrofoam cup is about as sterile as it gets.

Maude Lynn said...

I LOVE how you broke the lines between the stanzas. Very cool.

annell4 said...

Sometimes it is so true, you are telling my story.

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Sarav said...

Laurie what a heartbreaking bleak poem, beautifully done, hope that things get better, soon <3

artbyrae said...

this beings so much feeling...great words

Unknown said...

The grief is as bitter as the coffee. I hope you find peace.

Myrna R. said...

Laurie, I know so much what you say. You express the grief so well, your words go straight to my heart.

Suzy said...

Why did I get the feeling of a stark hospital room? Your poem conveyed a restlessness and anguish. Hope all is well.