I knew the man

sorenbarrett

Tied, beaten, burned alive, you can kill the man but feelings still survive
Pummeled, broken, bound with wire, left inside a car set afire
Numbed, shocked mind locked, brain struck, what the fuck 
All that was left bones and teeth closed casket with a black wreath
Ashes of memories stuffed in a box, only skull no more curly locks
Three confess under duress thirty years maybe less for their excess
And I sit and think, how the smell of burning flesh does stink

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Comments +

Comments11

  • nephilim56 ( Norman Dickson)

    a powerful piece my friend enjoyed the read immensely

    • sorenbarrett

      Thank you so much Norman for the read. Learned yesterday of a neighbor of years that ended this way last week.

      • nephilim56 ( Norman Dickson)

        so sad, its a mad world

      • Lorenz

        The wingless angels falling from the skies keep the memory of the pyres alive...

        • sorenbarrett

          Thanks so much Lorenz for the review and comment we all can not be phoenix and arise from our ashes

        • arqios

          We’ve been watching reruns of Bones and yesterday’s episode just happened to be a guy stuffed into the trunk of a car. That has compounded the punch of your poem. Most touched🕊️🙏🏻

          • sorenbarrett

            Thanks so much Cryptic beauty and horror make up the world we are in. This was the dark side. I appreciate your comment my friend

            • arqios

              Most welcome, Soren 🕊️🙏🏻

            • Thomas W Case

              Raw, relentless, and unflinching—this one hits like a fist to the gut.
              The horror lingers on the page, and your voice carries the ashes of memory with grim precision.

              • sorenbarrett

                Thanks so much Thomas I appreciate your read and comment it is always most appreciated

              • Friendship

                Your writing style has undergone a notable transformation. Your story contains very dark, violent, and horrifying elements, and is both graphic and emotional. This poem grapples with the themes of violence, mortality, and the lasting impact of trauma. It explores the brutal fate of an individual—a man subjected to horrific acts of violence—while highlighting the juxtaposition between physical death and the persistence of emotional and psychological pain. Yet it revolves around the aftermath of extreme violence and the haunting memories that linger even when a person is gone. You painted a graphic picture of violence and suffering.

                • sorenbarrett

                  Thank you friendship for your review interpretation and comment. It is true style can change as can mood in any poem and indeed they have in this one. There is beauty and ugliness that form a balance and this time the pendulum swung to the ugly. Each poet's creation affected by those things about them that give inspiration and this time it was the ugly.

                • Tristan Robert Lange

                  Soren, this hits hard…there’s no distance here, no softening. It comes straight at you and stays there. The brutality isn’t dressed up, it just is…and that makes it land heavier. That last turn into reflection just sits there, uncomfortable and real. Powerful write, my dear friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

                  • sorenbarrett

                    Thank you my dear friend, some things you can not just make up. Reality is stranger than fiction and it sits heavier on the mind and heart. I appreciate your understanding words of support

                  • orchidee

                    Good write SB.

                    • sorenbarrett

                      Thank you so much Orchi I appreciate you read and comment

                    • Kevin Hulme

                      Terrible about your Neighbour.
                      Powerful Piece.

                      • sorenbarrett

                        Thank you so much for the read Kevin I appreciate your kind comment

                      • Vipassana

                        you can kill the man but feelings still survive

                        That haunts me.

                        • sorenbarrett

                          Thank you so much for the read and comment it is most appreciated

                        • Goldfinch60

                          Such strong words soren, nobody should end like that.

                          Andy

                          • sorenbarrett

                            Thank you Andy for the read and kind words. Yes a sad situation

                          • Sviatoslav Zhabotynskyi

                            This is a very heavy poem. It reminded me of Emperor Nero, who burned people.

                            • sorenbarrett

                              Thank you so much again my friend for the read. Yes this was a man I knew and the feelings were heavy upon finding out the details of his death so they come through. The cruelty of mankind never ceases to amaze me despite having worked with it all my life from prisons to mental health



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