Fighting Words
There was a time we were restrained.
Cold shoulders. Pregnant silences.
And civilized combat
Funny what the years wear away.
My patience. Your inside voice.
Now look at the unfettered remains.
Hot heads. Guerrilla tactics.
And a tinderbox full of wounded egos.
Linking up with the summer series supergrid over at yeah write.
My piece is a 42-word gargleblaster, inspired by this week’s optional question prompt.
Image credit: Grinch7 @ deviantART
Apoplectic Apostrophes 
I love the contrast between the beginning and end parts. Looks like the pregnant silence didn’t give birth to anything good…. 0_0.
No sir. Unless knock-down drag-out fight are a good thing…
Thanks for commenting on the contrast. I had to keep tweaking to get it the way I wanted it. 🙂
I like your poem, Suzanne.
Thank you so much, Ranu! 🙂
Admiring play of contrasts. Early appreciate the regressive move from silence to anger.
Ugh, really, not early. I despise auto correct!
Auto correct is so annoying!
And thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂
Seems like a brief history of warfare… Then again, if I’ve learned anything from reading Gargleblasters, it’s that my interpretations are often wrong, or, at least, very different from the original idea.
Whatever the case, congrats on the great writing!
Thanks DragonSpark! In a sense, it’s a brief history of warfare – but for a couple, not all of mankind. 🙂
Your words always make me very happy. Another excellent #Gargleblaster Suzanne!
Aw, shucks. Thanks Arden! 🙂
I think others have already complimented you on the flipsides you have so expertly created. May I add that I’m also a fan of the word symmetry that you present in the first and last verse. I feel this creates a vibe of “everything changes but yet nothing does” about the daily routine. Hope that makes sense?
Thank you so much for your great comment! Makes total sense – you got exactly what I was trying to say with that use of symmetry. 🙂
Stunning poem. I love the photo you picked to go with it! Though I have to disagree. I hate cold shoulders! I would rather a full-on heated fight than that! Actually, I prefer no fighting at all but you know what I mean! Anyway, I have to share this on Twitter and FB because I love it soooo much.
Aw, thanks Melanie! And, for the record, I’m not a fan of cold shoulders either. 🙂
The shades of tension remind me of my parents when I was a kid. You tell so much her with so few words. Nicely done!
Thanks Janna! I’m sorry you lived it as a kid – that must have been tough.
I think you nail it every time, Suzanne. The way relationship patterns can change is interesting, and often sad. I’ve also noticed cold shoulders and silences at the tail end- accompanying those remaining wounded egos. I’ll be reading this again and again and again! Melanie is right- it’s stunning.
Aw, thank you so much for your lovely comment! 🙂
What a great selection of words and how beautifully you put forth so much 42 words….wonderful job!
Thank you! 🙂
“Funny what the years wear away. My patience. Your inside voice.” These are is very powerful lines that bridge the quiet beginning and the loud ending! Great gargleblaster! TiV
Thank you so much! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
What the years do wear away! I loved the movement from past to present. And you let us infer the future. Excellent work, as usual!
Thank you so much, Tina! 🙂
You distilled what I was trying to say into 42 words, Suzanne. Gorgeous. That middle stanza is so strong and pivotal. I agree with TiV’s comments.
Aw, thank you so much, Nate! I love that we went in the same direction with the prompt. 🙂
Suzanne, I love the layout and punctuation in this and the rhythm they. This works beautifully with your words to focus the reader’s attention on each thought. I think I’ve read this 4 times now. Lovely lovely.
Aw, thanks for your awesome comment, Silverleaf! 🙂
This…this is great writing. A tinderbox full of wounded egos. Perfect.
Thank you so much! 🙂
As always, so gorgeously written. My favorite line: “My patience. Your inside voice.” The progression from civilized arguments (even if a little passive/aggressive, “cold shoulders…pregnant silences”) to unabashed battles is relevant not just on a personal level but also a societal one. I love your writing.
Aw, thank you so much for your great comment! 🙂
I love the middle lines of each stanza, and I don’t know what I hate more, the cold shoulders or the outright fighting.
Thanks Marcy! Yeah, fighting is pretty awful whatever form it comes in. I know it’s necessary sometimes, but I’m always so relieved when it’s over. 🙂
Tight, strong, and dichotomous in just 42 words…amazing
Aw, thanks so much, Lance! 🙂