Liberty, by Nicole Nicholson
i still dream of shadows
gray guards, corded necks, black walking
the stars die in their hair
there is a time when blood
folds into itself, sits and cries
subspace Prophet prayers
enterprising escape
i see whistling lights alive, sky
bruised, streaked star eyes in warp
with a throat made of tin
fold my shadows like broken hands
sing my shadows to sleep
little campground darkling
inside the belly of a ship
dreams still eat you alive
Written 6/28/10
© 2010 Nicole Nicholson. All Rights Reserved.
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This poem was written for two prompts: We Write Poems #8: English Haiku, and Poetry on Wednesday #9 (write a poem about a famous person, mythical character, historical person, etc. without telling who it is in the poem). This is a chain of English haiku about a fictional character. See if you can guess who.
-Nicole
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Hi Nicole,
Well, I have no idea who this character might be but his/her experience is obviously a dark one. I love the idea that “the stars die in their hair”.
Loved “dreams still eat you alive.” “Enterprising escape” made me think of the ship … though I still am not sure of the character …
Derrick and Marianne: Thank you for your compliments on the poem. I was trying for dark because this character’s childhood is filled with it. Mariane, you are getting warm. This person did serve aboard one of the Enterprises in the Star Trek universe.
It’ll be fun to see how the others guess.
-Nicole
This is beautiful, Nicole. Your work always takes me somewhere other. I like the surprises I find here. The third stanza’s bruised stars–wow!
Don’t know the character, but picture a young person enroute to America via a slaving ship. That came in part from the chains in your picture, too. (which I also love!)
Hi Brenda:
I am honored by your comments. Thank you very much
You have the right idea in mind of someone whose liberty has been taken from him/her, but the person in question is not from planet Earth.
Have fun guessing!
-Nicole
Not the tin man in the Wizard of Oz..not Edward Scissorhands…never seen Star Trek…it would be a robot,a metallic version of ET..
It is very clever how you managed to combine the idea of English haiku with the POW person prompt. But, like the others, I don’t have a clear idea who the character is!
hi nicole…as a maniac trekkie it breaks my heart to think ok who is this…ummm…itz not the borg…. and not wazhername who became energy… sorta caught between the foto and the kuz… can it it 7of9… absolutely fasinating….
Not sure why, but it makes me think Darth Vadar.
I am amazed you could successfully combine those two prompts. Very well written, and oh so mysterious!
Hello again everybody:
Thank you again for your comments. I really do enjoy reading them, even if some weeks I’m too busy to reply.
Pieceofpie: You are correct that the individual is female, but she’s served aboard one of the Enterprises. A hint: go back a couple of series from Voyager and that should help. And by definition, she wouldn’t be Borg.
-Nicole
As your intergalactic leader I command you to give us the answer!
Nicole, I get a sense of a futuristic, dark world where you’re seeing everything quite clearly. Well written!
I thought I was a Trekker, but they lost me in the middle years. I was thinking Christopher Pike, being all gnarly and encased in his pitiful little box thingie. Now I know it’s a woman on a completely different series. Aarrgh!
Great poem, Nicole. I did catch the sly Trek references as you went along, but using the word “warp” without “drive” or “speed” is much better than with.
So dark, yet so much to see! Amy
Okay, I think it’s time to stop keeping y’all in the dark.
The speaker is Lt. Ro Laren, a Bajoran woman who briefly served aboard the Enterprise D. I’m writing of her experiences in the camps when Bajor was under Cardassian rule…how these things still haunt her. I believe that these, combined with the attacks that she witnessed of a border colony by Cardassians on an undercover mission, prompted her to join the Maquis.
When I watched her on the Next Generation, what struck me was her impetuousness, yet I could sense a hidden pain. The storyline of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor almost reminds me of when the Nazis occupied Europe before and during World War II, as well as oppression and atrocities committed by other groups who have conquered and occupied others throughout history.
Thank you everyone for playing, and for commenting on the poem. As I said early, I appreciate and am honored by your comments. The English haiku exercise was a LOT of fun, and forced me into an economy of words that I normally find difficult.
-Nicole