Cicadas sang through
my sobs at his departure.
I was only three
then. His face hung close to my
heart, secure in a locket.
Almost three summers
passed. Rust settled on my chest.
Singing cicadas
drowned out a stranger’s wailing;
soldier’s traumatization.
Ramblings of a Drabbling Mind 
Very vivid
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Thank you. I think forming the stanzas as tanka helped with developing the entirety of the imagery.
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Wow, this is really powerful!
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Thank you for the “Wow.” I’m glad to hear it struck a chord with you.
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Well done you! *smile*
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Thank you for the smile. As stubborn as I am, I couldn’t fight my own from emerging after that.
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Powerful and moving. Thanks for writing it.
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Not sure if I’ve ever been thanked for a poem. You are most certainly welcome! Thank you for enjoying.
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Lots of layers here. “Rust settled on my chest.” is my favorite line.
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I wasn’t sure how it all was going to come together, but that phrase was the only thing to survive every draft unscathed. Thank you for sharing and reading.
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I agree with GennaClaire. That is beautiful imagery.
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Thank you. I was determined to use it with this particular prompt.
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Love how you used the cicadas in different ways in each stanza. Very nice!
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Thank you. I was hoping to draw parallels between the stanzas, but needed to draw out differences as well. I’m glad to hear that particular one worked for you; I wasn’t sure if it’d come through.
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