Meth Widow, by Neil Creighton

Meth Widow, by Lorette C. Luzajic (Canada). 2015.

Meth Widow

she floats in despair
letter fragments are cruel symbols
without meaning or hope

beneath the crown of thorns
etched into her head
is a face 
bleached-bone white

eyes shaped
like from a skull
except in dull orange
hint of blue
black squiggle of line
are the embers
of hope dying

mouth stitched
like the rictus grimace
of a fleshless cadaver
cannot stop blood
smearing the mouth
and flowing in rivulets
down chin and neck

she cannot speak
but her stare
is more profound 
than words

the pain
the pain
the pain
the pain

Neil Creighton

This poem was written as part of the Ekphrastic Halloween surprise challenge.

Neil Creighton is an Australian poet with a passion for social justice and a love of the natural world. Recent publications include Poetry Quarterly, Silver Birch Press, Praxis Online, South Florida Poetry Journal, and Verse-Virtual, where he is a contributing editor. His poetry blog is windofflowers.blogspot.com.au