Poem: "Old Wounds That Refuse to Heal"
Jul. 17th, 2023 02:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem was written for Prompt 5: Goldenrod / Bonus Prompt Orange Rose in the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sunshine_challenge. It also fills the "dragon smoke" square of my 7-1-23 card for the Fireworks Bingo fest. It belongs to the series Eloquent Souls.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It features a mass-casualty incident with cars piled up on a bridge, an off-duty first responder rushing to the rescue, messy medical details, risk of falling, emotional mayhem, minor interpersonal violence, prior soulmate loss, arguing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
"Old Wounds That Refuse to Heal"
[Monday, July 17, 2023]
Solidago Alejo was driving
to the park when he saw
a multi-car pileup happen
on the bridge ahead of him.
He slammed on the brakes,
then jumped out of his jeep
to grab the paramedic kit
and set of firefighting tools
that he always kept in back.
Dark plumes billowed from
the wreckage like dragon smoke,
the smell of them oily and choking.
The bridge creaked and groaned
underfoot. That wasn't a good sign --
something must have hit the supports.
Looking ahead, Solidago saw that
several cars had crashed into
the railing on one side and
now hung partway in the air.
He picked up his pace from
a jog to a lope, pushing past
all the people running away
from the scene of the wreck.
When he reached the pileup,
he started pulling victims out
of the smashed vehicles so
he could treat their injuries.
Several of the doors were
too bent to open anymore,
but that was okay -- he had
a good rescue tool in his kit for
prying things or breaking glass.
Some of the injuries were minor,
others more serious, but Solidago
had plenty of supplies to handle
almost anything that didn't need
a whole ambulance to help.
Sirens in the distance
told him that ambulances
and other first responders
were already on their way.
Metal squealed and moaned
as one of the cars teetered.
Solidago lunged forward
to bash open the window.
Slashing the seatbelt with
one hand, he dragged out
the driver with the other.
He looked around, found
a sheltered spot safe from
falling or fire, and lowered
the woman to the ground.
"You saved me," she said,
giving him a dazed look.
"That's what I'm here for,"
Solidago said. It didn't
matter that he was off duty.
He wasn't expecting her
to slap him across the face.
And then burst into tears.
At first, Solidago thought it
was just stress from the crash.
Then her torn shirt slipped down
enough to show the soulmarks.
She had two of them, front
and back of her right shoulder.
The front had That's what I'm here for,
written below a large orange rose,
with the glister of a settled Mark.
The back had only handwriting,
May the flowers remind us why
the rain was so necessary,
the Words blurred in death.
Stunned, Solidago pushed up
his sleeve and saw that every bit
of goldenrod shimmered in glister,
below her Words, You saved me.
He hadn't even felt the Mark settle,
too focused on rescuing the woman.
Who quite clearly hated him.
"You bastard!" she said,
shoving at him. "I didn't want
you to save me. I wanted to be
with Louis. It was an accident.
It's okay to die in an accident."
"Since you're my soulmate, I'm
glad you didn't die," said Solidago.
"I'm sorry about your loss, though.
That must have been awful."
"I do not want another
fucking soulmate! I want
Louis," she snarled at him.
She had glass crumbs in
her hair, and blood trickled
from dozens of small cuts.
"Well then ... just forget about
all that soulmark stuff for now,"
said Solidago. "Let's get you
patched up instead. You're
a bit of a mess, but I don't
see anything I can't treat."
She blinked at him, thrown
off her rant. "Just like that?"
she said suspiciously.
"Just ... forget about it?"
"If that is what you need,"
Solidago said. "Let's start over.
My name is Solidago Alejo. I'm
a firefighter-paramedic. I'm off duty,
but I would like to take care of you.
Those cuts look pretty painful."
"Yeah, my face hurts," she said,
defeat dulling her voice. "I'm
Jacinthe Desrosiers. I guess,
fix what you can." She tried
to hitch up her torn shirt,
but it kept falling open.
"No injuries under there?"
Solidago said. "Good.
Here's a safety pin."
She took the pin and
fumbled it into place.
"Thanks," she muttered.
"One problem solved,"
Solidago said. "Let me
clean up your face now.
You've got a lot of scratches,
but I bet I can close the worst
of these with butterflies. You
probably don't even need stitches."
"Small blessings," said Jacinthe.
"I suppose I'll take what I can get."
Solidago mopped off the blood
and treated the many small cuts.
The safety glass had more-or-less
lived up to its name; none of them
were really deep or dangerous, so
he got them sealed with no trouble.
With that done, Solidago checked
Jacinthe for other injuries, but
found nothing more than bruises.
He offered her a cold pack, and
she pressed it over the biggest welt
left on her shoulder from the seatbelt.
"Feeling a bit better?" he asked,
hoping that he'd done some good.
"Yeah, some," said Jacinthe.
"I wasn't expecting that. I've
kind of ... forgotten what
better even feels like."
"Maybe that's what this is
all about," Solidago said,
stroking his yellow flower.
"What do you mean by that?"
Jacinthe said, narrowing her eyes.
"Goldenrod is a healing plant,"
Solidago said. "Among other things,
it's used to close old wounds that refuse
to heal under any other circumstances."
"Oh," Jacinthe said softly. "I guess
that is ... kind of relevant here."
The wind shifted, blowing
dragon smoke over them,
though the fire wasn't close.
"Come on," Solidago said
as he climbed to his feet,
offering Jacinthe a hand.
"Let's get out of here while
we can. I'll walk you out."
"Okay," Jacinthe said,
and took his hand.
* * *
Notes:
Jacinthe Desrosiers -- She has tawny-fair skin, brown eyes, and dark hair to her shoulders. She is petite with shallow curves and a narrow face. Her heritage is French-American. She speaks English and French. She is 26 years old in 2023.
Jacinthe lives in Los Angeles, California. She has a bachelor's degree in French, but hasn't used it much. She met her first soulmate, Louis Rayne, in college. They had planned to marry after graduating, but he died in a sporting accident late in their senior year. Her soulmark from him, now smeared with death, lies on the back of her right shoulder and reads, May the flowers remind us why the rain was so necessary. After that, Jacinthe lost her sense of purpose in life and just scuffled around whatever odd jobs were available.
A multi-car pileup on a bridge resulted in Jacinthe almost falling over the edge, but an off-duty firefighter rescued her. Solidago Alejo turned out to be her new soulmate, and she responded by slapping him. She hadn't wanted to be rescued; she wanted to be with Louis. But Solidago's compassion was what she needed. Her soulmark from him is on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words, That's what I'm here for. His soulmark from her is on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words, You saved me. They will have a hard time building a new relationship over the ruins of the old, but Solidago is determined to try -- and Jacinthe has to decide whether the solace of company is worth risking the pain of loss again.
Jacinthe wears French fashions, usually in light neutrals such as gray or taupe. She likes warm accents of gold, orange, and olive. She rarely bothers to dress up anymore, but she tries to look respectable at least.
Jacinthe Desrosiers' soulmark from Solidago Alejo
(on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words)
That's what I'm here for.
Solidago Alejo's soulmark from Jacinthe Desrosiers
(on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words)
You saved me.
Jacinthe Desrosiers' soulmark from Louis Rayne
(on the back of her right shoulder, now smeared with death)
May the flowers remind us
why the rain was so necessary
Orange rose meanings are associated with such feelings of liveliness, youthfulness, new beginnings, and happiness.
Solidago Alejo -- He has tinted skin and brown eyes. His floppy black hair falls in his face. He has a mustache and beard. His ears are pierced, and he customarily wears crystal studs. His heritage is Hispanic-American. He speaks English and Spanish, but can yell emergency phrases like "Don't jump!" in a couple dozen languages. He is 28 years old in 2023.
Solidago lives in Los Angeles, California. He has a bachelor's degree in Fire Science with a double minor in Paramedicine and Outdoor Recreation. He enjoys a variety of wilderness sports as well as urban nightlife. Solidago wears practical menswear, usually light colors like chambray and ivory. He avoids synthetics as much as possible, since they can melt or catch fire under heat. He wants to be well-prepared to handle fires at any time. In fact he always carries a paramedic kit and a few firefighting tools in his jeep.
While Solidago was off duty, he spotted a multi-car pileup on a bridge. Rushing to the rescue, he saved a woman from falling over the edge. Jacinthe Desrosiers turned out to be his soulmate, and she responded by slapping him. She hadn't wanted to be rescued; she wanted to be with her deceased soulmate Louis. But Solidago's compassion was what she needed. His soulmark from Jacinthe is on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words, You saved me. Her soulmark from Solidago is on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words, That's what I'm here for. They will have a hard time building a new relationship over the ruins of the old, but Solidago is determined to try -- and Jacinthe has to decide whether the solace of company is worth risking the pain of loss again.
Solidago Alejo's soulmark from Jacinthe Desrosiers
(on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words)
You saved me.
Jacinthe Desrosiers' soulmark from Solidago Alejo
(on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words)
That's what I'm here for.
Goldenrod (Solidago): An In-Depth Look at Their Meaning, Symbolism, and Cultural Significance
Solidago combines the Latin terms for making and whole, indicating its use as a herbal medicine for many centuries.
Solidago carries emergency equipment in his jeep including a motor vehicle crash kit, rescue tool, automotive fire extinguisher, and paramedic first aid kit. Because he's a firefighter-paramedic, he's accustomed to hauling a much larger and heavier assortment of gear on the job, so he actually can carry all that stuff. Most first responders or citizen responders would want a smaller one-kit bag for their car.
sunshine_challenge. It also fills the "dragon smoke" square of my 7-1-23 card for the Fireworks Bingo fest. It belongs to the series Eloquent Souls. Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It features a mass-casualty incident with cars piled up on a bridge, an off-duty first responder rushing to the rescue, messy medical details, risk of falling, emotional mayhem, minor interpersonal violence, prior soulmate loss, arguing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
"Old Wounds That Refuse to Heal"
[Monday, July 17, 2023]
Solidago Alejo was driving
to the park when he saw
a multi-car pileup happen
on the bridge ahead of him.
He slammed on the brakes,
then jumped out of his jeep
to grab the paramedic kit
and set of firefighting tools
that he always kept in back.
Dark plumes billowed from
the wreckage like dragon smoke,
the smell of them oily and choking.
The bridge creaked and groaned
underfoot. That wasn't a good sign --
something must have hit the supports.
Looking ahead, Solidago saw that
several cars had crashed into
the railing on one side and
now hung partway in the air.
He picked up his pace from
a jog to a lope, pushing past
all the people running away
from the scene of the wreck.
When he reached the pileup,
he started pulling victims out
of the smashed vehicles so
he could treat their injuries.
Several of the doors were
too bent to open anymore,
but that was okay -- he had
a good rescue tool in his kit for
prying things or breaking glass.
Some of the injuries were minor,
others more serious, but Solidago
had plenty of supplies to handle
almost anything that didn't need
a whole ambulance to help.
Sirens in the distance
told him that ambulances
and other first responders
were already on their way.
Metal squealed and moaned
as one of the cars teetered.
Solidago lunged forward
to bash open the window.
Slashing the seatbelt with
one hand, he dragged out
the driver with the other.
He looked around, found
a sheltered spot safe from
falling or fire, and lowered
the woman to the ground.
"You saved me," she said,
giving him a dazed look.
"That's what I'm here for,"
Solidago said. It didn't
matter that he was off duty.
He wasn't expecting her
to slap him across the face.
And then burst into tears.
At first, Solidago thought it
was just stress from the crash.
Then her torn shirt slipped down
enough to show the soulmarks.
She had two of them, front
and back of her right shoulder.
The front had That's what I'm here for,
written below a large orange rose,
with the glister of a settled Mark.
The back had only handwriting,
May the flowers remind us why
the rain was so necessary,
the Words blurred in death.
Stunned, Solidago pushed up
his sleeve and saw that every bit
of goldenrod shimmered in glister,
below her Words, You saved me.
He hadn't even felt the Mark settle,
too focused on rescuing the woman.
Who quite clearly hated him.
"You bastard!" she said,
shoving at him. "I didn't want
you to save me. I wanted to be
with Louis. It was an accident.
It's okay to die in an accident."
"Since you're my soulmate, I'm
glad you didn't die," said Solidago.
"I'm sorry about your loss, though.
That must have been awful."
"I do not want another
fucking soulmate! I want
Louis," she snarled at him.
She had glass crumbs in
her hair, and blood trickled
from dozens of small cuts.
"Well then ... just forget about
all that soulmark stuff for now,"
said Solidago. "Let's get you
patched up instead. You're
a bit of a mess, but I don't
see anything I can't treat."
She blinked at him, thrown
off her rant. "Just like that?"
she said suspiciously.
"Just ... forget about it?"
"If that is what you need,"
Solidago said. "Let's start over.
My name is Solidago Alejo. I'm
a firefighter-paramedic. I'm off duty,
but I would like to take care of you.
Those cuts look pretty painful."
"Yeah, my face hurts," she said,
defeat dulling her voice. "I'm
Jacinthe Desrosiers. I guess,
fix what you can." She tried
to hitch up her torn shirt,
but it kept falling open.
"No injuries under there?"
Solidago said. "Good.
Here's a safety pin."
She took the pin and
fumbled it into place.
"Thanks," she muttered.
"One problem solved,"
Solidago said. "Let me
clean up your face now.
You've got a lot of scratches,
but I bet I can close the worst
of these with butterflies. You
probably don't even need stitches."
"Small blessings," said Jacinthe.
"I suppose I'll take what I can get."
Solidago mopped off the blood
and treated the many small cuts.
The safety glass had more-or-less
lived up to its name; none of them
were really deep or dangerous, so
he got them sealed with no trouble.
With that done, Solidago checked
Jacinthe for other injuries, but
found nothing more than bruises.
He offered her a cold pack, and
she pressed it over the biggest welt
left on her shoulder from the seatbelt.
"Feeling a bit better?" he asked,
hoping that he'd done some good.
"Yeah, some," said Jacinthe.
"I wasn't expecting that. I've
kind of ... forgotten what
better even feels like."
"Maybe that's what this is
all about," Solidago said,
stroking his yellow flower.
"What do you mean by that?"
Jacinthe said, narrowing her eyes.
"Goldenrod is a healing plant,"
Solidago said. "Among other things,
it's used to close old wounds that refuse
to heal under any other circumstances."
"Oh," Jacinthe said softly. "I guess
that is ... kind of relevant here."
The wind shifted, blowing
dragon smoke over them,
though the fire wasn't close.
"Come on," Solidago said
as he climbed to his feet,
offering Jacinthe a hand.
"Let's get out of here while
we can. I'll walk you out."
"Okay," Jacinthe said,
and took his hand.
* * *
Notes:
Jacinthe Desrosiers -- She has tawny-fair skin, brown eyes, and dark hair to her shoulders. She is petite with shallow curves and a narrow face. Her heritage is French-American. She speaks English and French. She is 26 years old in 2023.
Jacinthe lives in Los Angeles, California. She has a bachelor's degree in French, but hasn't used it much. She met her first soulmate, Louis Rayne, in college. They had planned to marry after graduating, but he died in a sporting accident late in their senior year. Her soulmark from him, now smeared with death, lies on the back of her right shoulder and reads, May the flowers remind us why the rain was so necessary. After that, Jacinthe lost her sense of purpose in life and just scuffled around whatever odd jobs were available.
A multi-car pileup on a bridge resulted in Jacinthe almost falling over the edge, but an off-duty firefighter rescued her. Solidago Alejo turned out to be her new soulmate, and she responded by slapping him. She hadn't wanted to be rescued; she wanted to be with Louis. But Solidago's compassion was what she needed. Her soulmark from him is on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words, That's what I'm here for. His soulmark from her is on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words, You saved me. They will have a hard time building a new relationship over the ruins of the old, but Solidago is determined to try -- and Jacinthe has to decide whether the solace of company is worth risking the pain of loss again.
Jacinthe wears French fashions, usually in light neutrals such as gray or taupe. She likes warm accents of gold, orange, and olive. She rarely bothers to dress up anymore, but she tries to look respectable at least.
Jacinthe Desrosiers' soulmark from Solidago Alejo
(on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words)
That's what I'm here for.
Solidago Alejo's soulmark from Jacinthe Desrosiers
(on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words)
You saved me.
Jacinthe Desrosiers' soulmark from Louis Rayne
(on the back of her right shoulder, now smeared with death)
May the flowers remind us
why the rain was so necessary
Orange rose meanings are associated with such feelings of liveliness, youthfulness, new beginnings, and happiness.
Solidago Alejo -- He has tinted skin and brown eyes. His floppy black hair falls in his face. He has a mustache and beard. His ears are pierced, and he customarily wears crystal studs. His heritage is Hispanic-American. He speaks English and Spanish, but can yell emergency phrases like "Don't jump!" in a couple dozen languages. He is 28 years old in 2023.
Solidago lives in Los Angeles, California. He has a bachelor's degree in Fire Science with a double minor in Paramedicine and Outdoor Recreation. He enjoys a variety of wilderness sports as well as urban nightlife. Solidago wears practical menswear, usually light colors like chambray and ivory. He avoids synthetics as much as possible, since they can melt or catch fire under heat. He wants to be well-prepared to handle fires at any time. In fact he always carries a paramedic kit and a few firefighting tools in his jeep.
While Solidago was off duty, he spotted a multi-car pileup on a bridge. Rushing to the rescue, he saved a woman from falling over the edge. Jacinthe Desrosiers turned out to be his soulmate, and she responded by slapping him. She hadn't wanted to be rescued; she wanted to be with her deceased soulmate Louis. But Solidago's compassion was what she needed. His soulmark from Jacinthe is on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words, You saved me. Her soulmark from Solidago is on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words, That's what I'm here for. They will have a hard time building a new relationship over the ruins of the old, but Solidago is determined to try -- and Jacinthe has to decide whether the solace of company is worth risking the pain of loss again.
Solidago Alejo's soulmark from Jacinthe Desrosiers
(on the outside edge of his right forearm, a spray of goldenrod below the Words)
You saved me.
Jacinthe Desrosiers' soulmark from Solidago Alejo
(on the front of her right shoulder, an orange rose above the Words)
That's what I'm here for.
Goldenrod (Solidago): An In-Depth Look at Their Meaning, Symbolism, and Cultural Significance
Solidago combines the Latin terms for making and whole, indicating its use as a herbal medicine for many centuries.
Solidago carries emergency equipment in his jeep including a motor vehicle crash kit, rescue tool, automotive fire extinguisher, and paramedic first aid kit. Because he's a firefighter-paramedic, he's accustomed to hauling a much larger and heavier assortment of gear on the job, so he actually can carry all that stuff. Most first responders or citizen responders would want a smaller one-kit bag for their car.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-07-17 09:05 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2023-07-17 09:24 pm (UTC)Sometimes I like to explore what happens when soulbonding isn't such a smooth process, and this series is just great for that.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2023-07-18 02:39 am (UTC)Re: Thank you!
Date: 2023-07-18 02:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-07-18 02:13 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2023-07-18 02:20 am (UTC)... in the Chinese sense.
>> I liked this very much <<
Yay!
(no subject)
Date: 2023-07-18 02:44 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2023-07-18 03:12 am (UTC)Yay! I love that too. It's the whole theme of Eloquent Souls as a series. A fan prompted me for soulbond/soulmark stuff, so I looked up some lists of relevant tropes, then picked a set that worked together well.
>> I particularly like how you used goldenrod's use as a healing plant to relate to her personal situation. <<
That's good to hear. :D I really enjoy looking for suitable soulmarks in this series. Once I find the key image and/or phrase, the plot pretty much writes itself. So I'm just having a blast with these flower prompts.
>> A rough start for them but a great chance for a new beginning for her. <<
True. I've already had one request to continue their story, and fans can request more during any relevant prompt call. It'll be up to the characters how their relationship develops, if they want it to be platonic or romantic or what. The important thing is that Solidago knows not to push. He's willing to take "I don't want a soulmate" for an answer, and just focus on practicalities -- which is definitely something that Jacinthe needs, because she's been scrabbling for years.
The old use of the golden rod for sealing persistent wounds was just perfect for this context.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-07-19 01:43 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2023-07-20 08:14 am (UTC)My fans tell me that warnings not only help them decide what to read, but when to read things they want that may need extra energy to process.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-07-27 03:36 pm (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2023-07-27 08:15 pm (UTC)I've spotted several trios, some where the marks appeared at or near the same time, and at least one where an extra mark appeared later.
Other times, the death of one soulmate opens the door for another to appear.