re It's okay, barking dogs…cry it out.
a/n: a second poem based on a fic written by DeathThouShaltDie. I tackled this one first as the pattern and repetition fascinated me…it was pretty much a poem already…and gave me the opportunity to attempt a more irregular, less formal rhythm and rhyme, to suit the original jagged feel of the tale. A lot of the lines I use are in the original, I borrowed heavily from it, hence also writing another from this author in the previous chapter. I strongly recommend reading the original tale:-)
The main character involved is Richard Baker.
He wakes up…
To dogs barking in the distance,
To quiet sobbing,
To strained branches creaking,
To familiar voices; his father,
Then his mother,
Speaking.
A barking dog never bites…
A barking dog always bites…
He sees his mother, darning socks,
Smiling, until her gaze alights
On him, and her eyes widen in fear,
As though a monster is drawing near.
His father's loud anger jolts him into opening his eyes
To flames,
And wreckage,
And smoke,
And soft cries.
~0~
His eyes shut tight to keep out the smoke,
But it settles inside his head.
He searches for clarity, for reason,
Finds his aunt's voice instead…
Cry it out…
There is no one to solve this, but you.
Cry it out…
Shrill, dismissive, but, somehow, desperate too.
~0~
Hitched breath, a whimper…his own…eyes open once more.
Knife in hand, shoulder protesting,
He grasps tangled lines and begins to saw.
Cry it out…
But the tangled ropes are too strong…
Cry it out…
Who could leave babies crying for so long?
~0~
He calls out a familiar name,
To chase away the other voices in his head,
He stares at his colonel;
His hair reflecting flame,
His green…no…his brown eyes staring back,
Still,
Empty,
Dead.
~0~
His feels his knife slipping,
Hears his mother's gentle voice…
He grips more tightly, blade sinking into flesh…
No other option,
No other choice.
The rope gives, he falls,
Landing on hard ground.
Dogs bark,
Fire crackles,
Men sob,
Rope taps against tree.
There is too much sound.
There is too much of everything.
~0~
He is not alone…
The youngest of the crew is here,
He hears his cry,
Crawls towards the voice,
Finds him…
The lad will die.
Cry it out…
There is nothing else he can do…
Cry it out…
He cries for himself.
He cries for his crew.
~0~
Barking dogs never bite…
Barking dogs always bite…
Cry it out…
His mother, and his aunt, are right.
He is alone.
He knows barking dogs can bite.
~0~
Barking dogs…he circles the scene;
The sobs are hushed now…just bodies and wreckage;
Flames flicker in between.
~0~
Barking dogs…he crashes through trees,
Cannot clear his clouded mind,
Has to leave
The dogs,
The flames,
The cries,
The tapping of the rope,
Behind.
~0~
New sounds,
New voices,
New footsteps…
Far too near
He turns and runs,
But cannot get clear.
~0~
He is tackled to the ground,
Embraced,
Urged to stay.
He looks up into kind brown eyes…
It can't be okay…
It might be okay…
It's okay…
It's okay…
It's okay.
~0~