‘The Only Truth’ is a poem that drifted into being, following a series of vivid dreams about my father.  The title makes it an obvious choice for this year’s National Poetry Day, as the theme is ‘Truth’.

Dad passed away almost two years ago, but his presence fought to stay in my life.  I had a recurring dream that he was still alive, but suffering, and it felt as if I was experiencing the shock and distress of his cancer diagnosis all over again. On other nights, I dreamt he had come back.  On these occasions, I called him ‘Daddy’ as if we had remoulded to old casts of protective father and little girl.

Sometimes I would wake crying and my husband would fold me into his arms and stroke my hair.  During that first year of grieving, he held me a lot.  I thought about the comfort of the foetal position and another’s body curved in an echo, as if in an attempt to contain the overflow of feelings, or absorb them.  I began to write . . .

The Only Truth

A Poem for National Poetry Day

Your body enfolds me
piece by piece.

In this womb
I dream of awakened faces,

loved ones I’ve lost;
sing their breath as

they twine dark ribbons
around my subconscious thought.

I want to believe the
new words on their lips,

the warmth of
their almost touch.

I open my eyes to you,
your body –
the only truth.

K. S. Moore

Another K. S. Moore poem on the theme of truth can be read this Saturday, October 5th, as part of the Ink, Sweat and Tears special feaure for National Poetry Day.  

Photo by theqspeaks on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA