Analysis of Voodoo Doll

Jobere 1947 (Hilo, Hawaii)



I do not know who placed it there.
Left at the bedside by a pale hand, which rocked with a vengeance
The colors were of bruises, cuts, and stains
The body was a purple-mottled cloth with splatters of crusty red smears
The eyes were bulges of grief sewn to the face with ragged thread
Eyebrows of twisted horsehair knotted like a question
A crooked uneasy smile woven in place may hold the secret agenda
The crumpled white tunic and yellow striped pants spoke of Caribbean origins.
Its twisted palms and feet were too large to be real.
Swollen fingers and evil toes reveal abuse by many hands.
A slightly broken mouth with green teeth told of vacant days of no desire.
A small red-felt heart was fixed to the left breast.
The stabbing hatpin with faux pearl head pierced the host.
See the fractured button nose with yawning nostrils.
Arms and legs, misshapen and of different lengths.
The head was circled into a crown of barbed wire, with an odd golden hue.
Ears of Indian corn heard sounds I could only guess at.
Rusty chin staples spoke of tortured pain.
A broken choker of carbon steel took the throat.
A scorched parchment note fixed to the back said it all to any who would listen.
“By this tear-soaked note, I seek your pain and retribution.”
Signed Esmeralda  


Scheme ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSFFE
Poetic Form
Metre 11111111 11011011111010 0100110101 01010101011111011 010101111011101 11101101010 0100101100111010010 01011001011110100100 110101011111 1010010101011101 0101011111110111010 01111111011 01011111101 101010111010 101010011001 0111001011110111101 11100111111011 1011011101 01011101101 0110111011111101110 1111111110010 11
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,284
Words 245
Sentences 16
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 22
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 46
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 1,013
Words per stanza (avg) 227

About this poem

Written in grief after the passing of my wife.

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Written on July 09, 2017

Submitted by josephh.57904 on October 27, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:13 min read
1

Jobere

Started writing after my wife passed. I was 70 years old. more…

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