Black Ribbon Poem by Sandra Martyres

Black Ribbon

Rating: 5.0


A little packet arrived
Tied with a black ribbon
An ominous sign it bore
The name and address
Was almost illegible
Yet the young girl
Accepted it happily
Assuming that it
Was a birthday gift
From her missing Dad

He had been gone
Mysteriously for
A very long time
And her Mom had
Not offered any
Kind of explanation
She just refused
To talk about him
Leaving the little
Child bewildered

Not waiting for her
Mother to return
She carefully untied
The black ribbon
Unwrapped the
Brown paper
To find a little
Black box and in it
Was a tiny locket
Pinned to an untidy note

But before she could
Open it there was
A knock on the door
The courier man
Completely shaken
Had returned
The box was not
Meant to be delivered
To her but handed over
Only to her Mother

The little girl refused
To return the box
She gripped it firmly
And screamed aloud
That it was a present
From her dear Dad
He had never
Forgotten her birthday
So it just had
To be for her

The Drama continued
Until her Mother
Returned home
And took the parcel
Now it was her turn
To cry out aloud
The locket contained
No picture, just a few
Drops of what looked
Like dried blood

The scribbled note read
“By the time this
Reaches you
I will be dead
Ensure that
Our little girl
Knows nothing
And remembers me
Always as her dear
And loving Daddy”

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Indira Babbellapati 22 October 2009

mystery n pathos well blended...

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Carl Harris 22 October 2009

Well, this is an exceptionally well written poem, Sandra, with a marvellous story expressed beautifully and an aura of mystery to it that made in a most delightful read. Until your fine ending, I was expecting the package to be a bomb, so inculcated have we been with the threat of terrorists these days. What especially appealed to me in this great poem is that the mystery remains even after the poem ended. A very thought provoking and brilliant write! Carl.

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Robart Frocheart 22 October 2009

Hamlet could not have stated more adequately how our intentions and actions (even from the grave) can be so impotent in the affairs of this life. moving as well as thought provoking piece, Sandra thanks, sjc

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Sandra Fowler 22 October 2009

Tragedy that cannot fail to move the reader. Beautifully written. The drama lingers on after the poem ends.10/10. Love, Sandra

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Ramesh T A 22 October 2009

The poetically written story is like the one written by Edgar Alan Poe's! Interesting to read till the end!

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Alison Cassidy 28 October 2009

Like those in earlier days who hid the fact of adoption from their children, preferring to pretend, so in this sad poem you share the awful consequences of concealment when tragedy touches a family. The black ribbon is strong symbol for the black tale you tell about a little girl who believed in a lie. An emotionally strong poem. Love, Allie ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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Chuck Audette 28 October 2009

You set a wonderful atmosphere of foreboding, leaving the reader wanting more details of this mysterious and tragic death. -c

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Meggie Gultiano 26 October 2009

a touching write.I was almost in tears reading this.

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Sonya Florentino 25 October 2009

this is a horror story where the monsters are real......

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Sathyanarayana M V S 25 October 2009

I thought there was a bomb in the box. The narration is excellent and gripping...

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