May 19, 2009 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

Stealing Pepper

breathing in the air of broken yesterdays
with tomorrow's entangled lungs
in a calm state of vigorance

reaching out to the ultraviolet
ornamentations, lavishly guiding my way
in even the fiercest shade of black

there is no essence left to disrupt

the coffee tastes too frivolous today
soft foam dissolving on my tongue
hot liquid taking on
the shape of a snake of warmth
smoothly winding its way
down into my core

I wish I were somewhere more tranquil

by the seashore of La Jolla
dangling my legs off of its sharpest ledge
my own transitory throne of isolation

I communicate with my fellow writers
so dear to me, I throw out a hook
in hope of catching some phonemes
as these cliffs transform into a salt marsh

the pepper has been stolen and now tumbles
on grassy slopes with all those other flavors
mankind has declared useless

— Proprietress of Crimson Hearts, May 19, 2009

About This Poem

About the Author

Critiques

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

bubbles...

love your new pic. your images are always great, almost as good as your poetry. :-) thank you for the read and the blood, my sweet Vampyre. love from here, Kata

Seren

17 years ago

.........

I noticed this comment ... had to leave one for you Kelsey ... when you run out of those little containers of bubbles dishwashing liquid works a dream ... lol .. I was always running out when my kids where little as they were fascinated with them !!! he he much love JayC x x

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

wow, Julie,

I feel more than flattered by your sweet words ( turning crimson :). I also enjoyed your latest and hope to read more sonnet soon!!! hmmm, what does makes my brain tick? I have no idea, the poems just come and are gone forever if I don't write them down, so that has led to quite strange situations in my life ;-) thank you for the read, Julie, it is a pleasure to have you here, brave you. Kata

Seren

17 years ago

Aweome ....

I'm going to have a stab at this one you drew me in like reeling me in I got closer and closer to the screen as I read it lol ... at the end I felt you where telling me the flavour had gone out of life and it was feeling ordinary ... god I hope im close I hate trying to put into words anothers innermost thoughts ... loved this one hun ... its a slam dunk for me :) five stars but other that that I had visions like the changing of a the scenery in a movie .. Proprietress of lonely hearts ... and beautiful poems Love JayC x x

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

JayC

thank you so much for your comment, you made my day. your interpretation is absolutely wonderful, thank you for that, too! love from here, Kata

bjp

17 years ago

Dear Kata,

I do like your efforts in this poem: mixes of reachings, loyalties, the whiff of coffee and "lavishly guiding [your] way in even the fiercest shade of black." Every move away from shadows is an act of will, an investment in another inner voice, which is tentative but hopeful, blunted by grays but tantalized by colour. Please continue your exploring, seeking the tranquil waters of you. I often say to Olya that everyone is sensitive. But some are more sensitive than others. And poets are often in the ranks of the most sensitive, which makes their hearts leak and their stomachs hurt but also makes their voices knit the songs of the world. Olya says that art is the essence of human hopes and identity. And it is those who feel out of step with world who are the dreamers of "who we want to be" and who nurse the rest of the world through the mundane days to the delight and choirs of joyous celebration. adieu, bjp

Cloudthings

17 years ago

these sentences (from you & Olya) are so worthy of acknowledgeme

Excuse me butting in, I just think these sentences (from you & Olya) are so worthy of acknowledgement, of highlighting so we all might read them, no doubt our own thought thrust into your wonderful glove of eloquence, I want to stand & applaud.~ Anni ~~~ "... sometimes I hear my voice - And it's been here .... Silent All These Years" ~Tori Amos.

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

exactly, bjp.

I always say that it is our duty as artists to feel the world more intensly than others. this enables us to write. we drown in emotions but live to tell the tale. your comment was wonderful and inspirational, thank you. love from here (also to Olya please), Kata

themoonman

17 years ago

Kata...

Hi... I too love your writing style, uniquely your own, and this one is another on your precious pile... We all fight our own black moods, I love how you put it down... there is no essence left to disrupt in... my only suggestion is "in" I felt if you left it off, it would be a sharper statement... only an idea, loved the poem! I do hope you hook your shortened sounds and net some spice as it tumbles to the over-shadowing marsh... inspiring poetry, and that's my take! Richard

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

Mr. Moonman,

thanks for your take! I will have to think about hte suggestion today. it is my favorite line in this poem and I love its melody. but I will consider it and run through it a couple of times and maybe change it tonight. uniquely my own? now that makes me really happy, sir! love from here, Kata

Cloudthings

17 years ago

many lines & sentiments here that had me suspended in your world

Many many lines & sentiments here that had me suspended in your world or transported to the same knowing in my own, brilliantly woven, these words. I could pull out my favourites but I need not, I would expect no less from you Kata. I dont think it is your best but deserving of 5 stars for sure. xx~ Anni ~~~ "... sometimes I hear my voice - And it's been here .... Silent All These Years" ~Tori Amos.

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

"... years go by but I'm here still waiting

for somebody else to understand" this is actually an old piece, I totally agree that it is not one of my best. thank you for saying that, I appreciate the honesty (but only if I agree :-) I feel that many dishonest words have been spoken since the public rating, so words of criticism make me breathe a sigh of relief. isn't that strange, Anni? thank you for your kind words and for making me hum that song out loud, it will probably stick with me for the rest of the day.

Cloudthings

17 years ago

I may think it not your best, I still gave it 5 & deservingly so

Dear Kata, (how I love that line, how I feel it too, she is so clever & so passionate Tori... much like you actually Kata... & how pertinent that bridge you quote from really... "years go by if im stripped of my beauty and the orange clouds raining in my hand, years go by will i choke on my tears till finally there is nothing left, one more casualty you know we're too easy easy easy..." this last line could easily relate to your point about feeling people have not been quite so honest with the new stars system, perhaps we are more cowardly (too easy)... In truth I find at times (not always) I just wont comment if I don't feel I can leave stars since I fear offending or detracting from their confidence, it is a tricky thing, though I do think it erradicates some of the problems of undermining etc.) HOWEVER what I really wanted to say was that just because I didn't think it was your best, I still thought it was glowingly good, & to remind you I gave it 5 stars, there was no criticism deserved as far as I could see. It might be hard, because you get such praise so often, to believe, but I think most people don't say what they don't mean, you can usually tell. Maybe you could trust us more when we sing your praises? You write beautifully Kata, it is undeniable x~ Anni ~~~ "... sometimes I hear my voice - And it's been here .... Silent All These Years" ~Tori Amos.

weirdelf

17 years ago

Everyone has said it,

you truly are a remarkable poet. I only want to add that I enjoyed the coined word vigorance. It is more eloquent than mere vigor and adds perhaps a hint of vigilance. Never hesitate to make up a word when the existing ones don't suffice. cheers, Jess Forever unwrapping the eternal present.

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

Jess!

long time, no see. but great to see you commenting again. sometimes I don't even know if I am making up words or using ones that I snatched up at some time in my childhood- I suppose that I have a small advantage, not being a native speaker and so being unrestrained. now I'm babbling nonsense, sense, I hav ejust got to stop writing before I confuse myself too much. good to have you back, great leader :-) Kata

weirdelf

17 years ago

I swoon

great leader? that is the nicest compliment I've had since someone said to me on a birthday card "I wanted to write something profound, but there is no point, your life is a poem" cheers, Jess Forever unwrapping the eternal present.

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

thank you so much eveningrush,

I am glad that you got so much out of my humble piece. thank you for the read and the comment. I am looking forward to reading some of your poetry. who knows, maybe I will end up the envious one... :-) Kata

themoonman

17 years ago

Hey...

You changed the line... do you like it better???? I do but that doesn't even matter, I wouldn't want you to change it if you loved it there.... Richard

Proprietress o…

17 years ago

Richard,

it makes a whole lot more sense without the 'in'. I just loved the melody of the line but now it is more... right? I can't find the word, stupid language barrior. but you know what I mean. altering words is poetic but grammatical mistakes don't belong in a poem. I could change it to : there is no essence left to errupt in. let me know which you like better, I'm doing this one MoonManStyle :-) Kata

themoonman

17 years ago

Kata...

I like what you have now better... it was my favorite line as well, except for the "in"... disrupt... yep, but hey, that is me... I do so much like reading your writes! Richard

Ink Dragon

17 years ago

My sweet Kata,

I leave Neo alone for a few weeks to fix some other things in my life, and there you are, throwing out gem after gem. I love this piece, so many strangely interesting images in there, but I have to think my rating over a little... I will come back to this one and will also try to catch you online for a quick discussion. Much love from not-quite-bad Germany, ~Nina

Ink Dragon

17 years ago

Ok,

I'm back and I think I can now put my finger on the little trouble spot I had with this one: Don't you think "Stolen pepper" or maybe even "Where did the pepper go?" would be a better title? Because I understand this piece to be describing the lack of something (an essence, a feeling, energy?) that used to be there. You are not "stealing pepper", but you have lost your "pepper", it has been "stolen". Did I get that right? Yours, ~Nina