When the Gun Clicks
K.N. Lee
Heart beats thump
Blood clumps
He stands there
She's quite aware
Throat dries
Large blue eyes
Flicker up
With terror and surprise
Face pales
Skin tightens
Tiny blonde hairs stand on end
She's been found
And so it begins
Warnings scream
Inside her head
She should run
She should flee
He wants her dead...
He wants her to see
Her love is tainted
Her eyes too seductive
Her face too painted
He wants her to see
She's better off bound
It would soothe his nerves
If she could not be found
If she could not be found
If he knew she were safely buried
Kept safe from other men
This
Is
What
He
Needs
To
Happen
Is
What
He
Needs
To
Happen
In order to quiet the voices
And quench his desire
He wants to capture her
And watch the red fire
Lick her ankles
And creep up her thighs
Ripping the flesh as her screams rise
This is his goal
She knows it too well
So when the gun clicks once
She sends him to Hell
K. Nycole Lee is truly a gifted writer.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I didn't even LIKE poetry until I read "When the Gun Clicks". The only reason I wrote poetry myself was because it was required in my high school Language Arts classes a few decades ago. For perspective's sake, allow me to put it this way: I treated reading (and writing) poetry akin to eating squash while my mother watched me like a hawk at family reunions; it certainly wasn't my idea.
I had myself a good old fashioned attitude adjustment last night, though, when I read "When the Gun Clicks" for the first time. Fortunately for me, my curiosity had overridden long-held biases.
Within the first 26 words (that number is especially significant to me as a marathon finisher) Lee had drawn me in. And not just the words themselves, but the CONTEXT in which they were used. Relatively few in number but intensely powerful nonetheless, the words Lee chose to deploy evoked immediate, primal responses within me: anger, anxiety, dread. I even felt my pulse rate increase.
Time for a second round of honesty, folks. I wear many "hats": data entry operator, long distance runner, wannabe-novelist and bachelor to name four of them, but I've never worn the one that proclaims me an experienced poetry critic, nor do I anticipate that reality to ever change. Heck, I barely remember terms such as "couplet" and "sonnet", much less what they're supposed to mean.
Nevertheless, I know what ideal poetry is supposed to DO for a reader--draw them in, rock their world, then leave them questioning which direction is up.
Well, "When the Gun Clicks" is ideal poetry, all right. I'll testify to that in a heartbeat, before the Almighty, in a court of law, at Times Square, whatever.
Obviously, people are going to take a new, loyal fan's opinion with the proverbial grain of salt. I get it.
Nevertheless, I challenge anyone-ANYONE-to read "When the Gun Clicks" then go feed the cat or whatever without first having "Holy crap", "Wow", (maybe coarser brief adjectives) pop in their brain in reaction to said poem above. Yes, it's that good.
I'll repeat it again: K. Nycole Lee has proven she's a gifted writer with her poem "When the Gun Clicks." Go on, prove it to yourself. You won't be disappointed; I sure wasn't, and, until last night, I wasn't into poetry in the first place. Well, what are you waiting for?
Michael Holman
Salem, OR
I am stunned. I never imagined my words could touch someone so profoundly. It gives me great validation as a writer. All I strive to achieve is the emotion I helped you experience, Michael. Thank you so much. I will always think of you when I pick up a pen and second guess my dark and twisted imagination. I will not fear people's reaction. I write about what frightens me and I think that reveals the power of the truth in words. Thank you again :)
DeleteSpot on observations Mr. Holman =) I agree. Very moving and vividly descriptive poetry. I love poetry and have been writing it since I was in elementary school. But very rarely do I share it with the world to see. Poetry is so much more intimate to share and leaves you so vulnerable. But it can open so many other doors for your creativity if writers would just give it a chance. So many people give up on poetry because of the way it's taught and analyzed and critiqued in schools. Plus, the poetry "crowd" can often seem so highbrow and condescending sometimes (and this comes from a poetry lover and reader and writer), that is scares people off. I wish it were different so everyone would embrace the love of poetry and see it for the beauty it is. And give it a go themselves and discover something about themselves. Your poetry in general is very beautiful and mysterious and intimate Nycole. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteWow Colleen! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I really do enjoy reading such compliments! I agree...people have many misconceptions about poetry and forget that it is an outlet for creatively expressing oneself. I use poetry to vent, face my fears, and relate to my readers on an intimate level. Sometimes...I even use it to capture a moment that would have otherwise been lost, as in Love in a Coffee Shop! Thank you!
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