Bronze

[billy]

I woke one morning
And knew I was bronze;
Felt dawn’s copper light paint paint feels as if it should start the next line
My mattress-sunken body-
Laden with the weight
Of third place.
Before, I would speculate
I was this breed of ore.
Once, I thought I saw
A flake floating over
Red ink-defaced
Essays I had written


Oh, to be excluded the oh feels a little forced
From the golden race-
A poor prize placed
around necks of
near-succeeders and
Almost-makers-
The kind of trophy that
No one wants, but anyone will
Take, just to have some
Reward for what they’ve done.

for me it's a cross between a metaphor and a result.
the metaphor grips because of the lines;
I woke one morning
And knew I was bronze;
no mention of a letter or a result, just a knowing. something i and others have known on many occasions.
then you give us;
Before, I would speculate
which either strengthens the metaphor or tells us you know something we dont. i like the way we have to think; is the 1st person in the poem just feeling like shit, or did he get 3rd place. and then we see he got third.

liked these lines;
Once, I thought I saw
A flake floating over
Red ink-defaced
Essays I had written

for, the recognition in this part could be extend.

a good read for me lawrence, thanks as always. jmo