Quandary
Words haunted her, hounded her
Phrases dogged her footsteps,
nipped at her heels.
Thoughts butterflied about her head,
no shoving them away.
Fanciful images and rhyme
began to work they way
into the margins of her mind.
At work, she inked them on her arm
(transcribing them before nightly oblations).
When at last she found her voice,
the words rejoiced, flutterflapping, then
settling on her desk or clinging to the walls
like hastily taped reminders.
Carefully, she pasted them into a book
in a certain order
(like a ransom note)
and the captive was set free.
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore
For ABC Wednesday (brought to you by the letter “Q”) and my poetic home, Poets United.
Sharp Little Pencil 
Roger Green
The song “Oh, Freedom” somehow came to mind.
ROG, ABC wednesday team
vivinfrance
Gorgeous, specially that word flutterflapping.
christine
I swear sometimes you are inside my head. Wrote a poem today as I waited for my kindred spirit to meet me for lunch and this resembled the one I wrote in many ways. Not sure if I’m going to post it. This is just too splendid to top.
Sharp Little Pencil
POST IT, DAMMIT! I want to see your slant on things. Even when some of us connect in ways unsuspected, we are all unique. Then send me the link when you post it! Love, Amy
a.m. trumble
Oh Amy, loved this so much, I showcased on the Poets United blog. Well done!
Sharp Little Pencil
Wow, thank you so much! This was one of my most popular poems in a while, so I really appreciate it. I think it speaks to the work of the poet, the struggle we all face, and so many folks wrote to say they identified with it. But being on the showcase of my favorite blog? WOWZA!!! Thanks! Amy
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Amy! I am truly touched. A
barbara
love it….the butterflied and the ransom note….quite a lovely write…bkm
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Barbara, for the kind words. I’m going to bop on over to your blog and see what’s up there! Amy
Debbie
I loved this. 🙂 and flutterflapping! thank you!
Renee
I like this alot, Amy, just the way you describe the thoughts becoming words and the need to put them down…really brings them to life. It is the way I feel about words and writing. Thanks!
Sharp Little Pencil
It’s all of us in some way, Renee! Thanks, Amy
Mr. Walker
Amy, I like this. I feel like this a lot, because I feel like I’m composing in my head a lot of the time, and then getting it down on paper. That last stanza is awesome.
Richard
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you,k Richard. My problem is thinking of the perfect phrase, then over-thinking it when I write it down and it loses some of the original flavor… Thanks much for relating, as so many folks have! Peace, Amy
beespoetry
Wow! I love the image of the poetry as butterflies.
Actually, all the imagery you put into this is amazing.
(hee, I thought I was the only one who, while at work, scribbled hasty phrases for later onto whatever was closest at the time- arm, back of an abandoned receipt, an old coffee cup…)
I’ve got another work in progress up at my blog, if you like. http://beespoetry.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/allergy/
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, Bee, if you could only see my desk. Folders won’t hold the scraps, so I have a big bucket. When I need inspiration, I rummage around and pick something out, like a raffle!!
I knew you would like the butterflies, 😉
Coming over to see what you wrote. Amy
beespoetry
What a great idea! Big idea bucket beats crumpled mass of grimy receipt paper at the end of the day.
Your word choice kicks butt! With great ones like oblations, flutterflapping (which reminds me of the poem The Jabberwocky for some reason; I love words created on the spot to fit a need), phrase ‘like a ransom note’, ‘margins of her mind’… 🙂 This poem is one of my favourites.
Love, Bee
Becca Givens
This dilemma resonates with me … well penned images …
I like the phrases “Thoughts butterflied about her head” and “flutterflapping” … 🙂
Thank you for your visit!!!
Sharp Little Pencil
Becca, thank YOU, too. Don’t know where “flutterflapping” came from… just sort of skidded to rest on the page… I think we all have points of struggling with words, sometimes for me, if my manic depression goes too far over to the manic side, my brain is one giant Wordle! Amy
Blossom Dreams
This so perfectly describes those days when the words simply will not let us rest! Awesome! xx
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Blossom. I doubt you will run out of words anytime soon, LOL! Amy
1sojournal
Oh, I liked this one a lot. I would think that anyone who has ever had the least desire to write, would find a comfortable home within your words. It is a remarkable, if familiar journey. Thank you, Amy,
Elizabeth
Sharp Little Pencil
Elizabeth, thank you for relating to my struggle – and yes, a familiar one for most of us, I believe. Anyone involved in wordsmithing probably can get this one! Amy
Sherry Blue Sky
I so love this…..words fluttering like butterflies. Love “the captive was set free”.
Sharp Little Pencil
That’s exactly how it feels. But I think you already know that…! Thanks, Sherry, peace, A
ladynimue
Yes ! thats the way aha aha !!
I could imagine the feelings of getting the thoughts into order.. and more so the desperation not to lose them in the riutine ..
Sharp Little Pencil
Our thought processes are quite a bit the same, LOL. It’s as though thoughts are moths… sometimes they are sweet and fluttering… sometimes they are chewing on something they shouldn’t!!
Elizabeth
You have such a lovely way of layering truths so beautifully. x
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you so much, Elizabeth, much appreciated! Amy
contemplativemoorings
Very effective imagery 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Love this comment, thanks so much, M. A
Madeleine Begun Kane
Wonderful poem and I especially liked this phrase “Thoughts butterflied about her head” and this one “the words rejoiced, flutterflapping.”
Sharp Little Pencil
That is the beauty of free verse… it also comes with freed-up vocabulary! Thanks, A