Elemental Senses
A sensory poem
I taste the rising water, salty as the sweat on my brow. It doesn’t quench my thirst but leaves me parched for answers. I wonder how it can be so, how we have made it to be so.
The fires flame hot as my rage. The rancid smell of burning guilt consumes me. It insults me. It accuses me of being as useless as a spit in the wind, and I wonder if it's right.
I feel my shattering ribs, as the earth, cracking beneath my feet, grasps onto my heart in a vain attempt to squeeze out what’s left of my resistance.
The wind cries out to me. Its agonizing howls drown out my screams and remind me that one of us has to remain hopeful, that salvation is now left to me.
I try. God knows I try. But as I stand on the edge of destruction, watching my world fight for its very life, I swear I can see my soul as it disappears into the ether.
About the Creator
Cathy holmes
Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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What Just Happened?
Oh! Hahahaha. Ouch! Belch. Eww.
By Cathy holmesabout a year ago in Poets
Comments (30)
Cathy, I am thankful that I have the opportunity to read more of your work. Congratulations on the TS! Most worthy. I reflect and feel gratitude - your expression in a deeply emotional, sensory rich descriptive poem on a subject that should be our World’s focus. I hope to learn a lot from you... ‘Its agonizing howls drown out my screams and remind me that one of us has to remain hopeful.’ Pauline🌸
That last line is something else. Such depth to this! Congrats on the Top Story, well-earned and masterfully written!
👏👏👏 Deeply expressed. Left me pondering my place in it all. Well done, Cathy and Congrats!!!
Your words create such a vivid and haunting atmosphere. I feel the weight of your struggle and the desperate longing for hope amidst chaos. The imagery is powerful, especially the way you juxtapose the salty water with unquenched thirst, symbolizing a deeper search for meaning. It’s as if I can feel the earth cracking beneath me, mirroring the turmoil within. Your exploration of guilt and resilience resonates deeply, leaving me reflecting on the fight for salvation. It’s a raw and moving piece that captures the essence of despair and the faint glimmer of hope. Great work 👏
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congratulations! Gorgeous. writing
Congratulations on Top Story!! This is an incredible sensory jarring scene. Fabulous work
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story - it’s well earned!
This is so beautiful! Congrats on the top story
Yay! Congrats my buddy on a deserving Top Story!
I felt every word of this reverberate through my soul. Gorgeously penned despite the weary truth it holds. Brilliant work, my Queen :)
well done, i loved it.
Yay Cathy!!! Back to say congrats on Top Story!!! 🎉
Goodness. "Spit in the wind" great similie! This reaches deep depths my friend. Well done.
Fabulous job!!!!
😔👍 I haven’t had a chance to read many of these so far but this was interesting slant Cathy. Here here to hope I hope! 🤞
This was an intense entry for the sensational challenge for me!! I loved it Cathy!!
That's beautiful!
This one hits hard
Wow....that was quite powerful and packed a punch. Profoundly poignant in its intensity and depth of emotion. Well done.
Dunno how you do it, buddy but this is raw, powerful, but still beautifully poetic! really well done, buddy!
Whoaaaa Cathy, this was so powerful! I loved it so much!
Deep and profound. The intensity is palatable, Cathy. Well done!
These are deeply troubling times and this poem makes that personal. Sometimes we cannot even make ourselves turn away. Raw and powerful poetry, Cathy!
Gosh this felt raw and powerful and gosh, just brilliant. So well written.