Drusilla's Retreat | Teen Ink

Drusilla's Retreat MAG

August 26, 2009
By IrisGF DIAMOND, Birmingham, Alabama
IrisGF DIAMOND, Birmingham, Alabama
55 articles 0 photos 5 comments

There with her gun she stands
Watching all the men march by
Her fingers itching at the trigger
Just one little movement
And a blast would rip out of the barrel
Ripping perhaps into one of these men
These men who have betrayed her
But she does not fire
She stands straight with
That ladylike smile
Watching as they retreat
With their holey shoes
Their tattered pants and worn shirts
While she is compressed into the skirts
The ribbons and soft colors
She yearns for the bandages wrapped
Round their heads
She wishes for the calluses
Covering their hands
Oh, to have dirt in her fingernails
And bruises on her arms
She laments all this silently
They must not know her desires
Only the gun knows
Her innermost wants
Her dreams of battle,
That is to say, of freedom
Freedom to sit around a fading fire in rags
Freedom to curse and sweat and be filthy
Freedom to feel blood pour down her middle
After an enemy's bullet has found its mark
These are the sweet images that haunt her
That taunt her each night
Come with us, Drusilla
They whisper like honey
Come with us and fight
Life is not yours until it is at risk
They whisper and whisper
You are no lady, you are captive
Which she is
She does not stand
She hangs from chains
Locked on her smooth wrists
She holds no gun
But a needle and thread
And all of those men
Her one-time comrades
They did not betray her
They simply sent her back to her nest
Only now, she carries her dreams with her
Like a gun in her arms
Her fingers itching at the trigger


The author's comments:
This piece was written based of William Faulkner's character, Drusilla, in his novel The Unvanquished.

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This article has 17 comments.


on Nov. 4 2015 at 1:18 pm
DrizzyTheWriter BRONZE, Plaquemine, Louisiana
4 articles 0 photos 4 comments
I may not be a female, but I can say that this piece is exquisitely parallel with my perspective of life as a young adult. The author uses symbolism to express that Drusilla’s desire for freedom in the world runs deep; Drusilla is tired of being suppressed, Drusilla longs for expression without discrimination, Drusilla walks around with these thoughts, Drusilla’s dreams aren't accepted, Drusilla’s thoughts are her weapon, but the weapon stays cold.

CalebRJ BRONZE said...
on Nov. 4 2015 at 1:09 pm
CalebRJ BRONZE, Plaquemine, Louisiana
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments
Your piece’s variety of symbols and metaphorical language greatly interprets the problem of sexism and how is cripples progression in our society. The way you contradict the desires of woman and how they wish to be viewed to the actuality is quite precise; giving one example, where it writes, “She holds no gun But a needle and thread.” This symbol of a gun being the desire of women is contradicted by the societal prejudicial view of women in that they only comprehend “ladylike” labor such as needle and thread.

on Nov. 4 2015 at 1:05 pm
Sheebell101 BRONZE, Plaquemine, Louisiana
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
This strongly describes the true feelings of a girl who isn’t as ladylike as she looks. She wants the “…Freedom to curse and sweat and be filthy…” just as a boy would be praised for.

on Apr. 9 2015 at 3:09 pm
caitlynskylar17 BRONZE, Lakeview, Alabama
3 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is a book and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read.

@IrisGF I'm from the same place as you

on Apr. 9 2015 at 3:08 pm
caitlynskylar17 BRONZE, Lakeview, Alabama
3 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is a book and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read.

Hey I am from the same place as you!

on Nov. 21 2011 at 10:39 pm
FatesMistake13, Springerville, Arizona
0 articles 0 photos 157 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes." Oscar Wilde

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame."

amazing! i love it

on Aug. 8 2011 at 11:09 am
Tongue_Blep PLATINUM, ????, Ohio
40 articles 1 photo 769 comments
wow that was sooo kewl! I very nice piece of work! great job! I just posted a new story i wrote called: Alien invasion series book one: the caller. If any of u had time please go check it out and post feedback and comments. It would be much appreciated! Thanks! and keep writing everyone! :)(:

on Jun. 22 2011 at 3:55 pm
devikaarora GOLD, New Delhi, Hawaii
17 articles 0 photos 33 comments

Favorite Quote:
Dont tell me sky is the limit when there are footsteps on the moon !

Wow!
THis is just the way it happens.
Good work writer!
I truly loved the piece. Hats Off!

:)


Bumbleshree said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 9:04 pm
I've always felt like girls were treated so much differently than guys. I love how you describe exactly what makes a girl who wants to be a soldier unable to express her inner desires. You're a great poet!

MyFizz said...
on Jan. 6 2011 at 5:06 pm
MyFizz, Lynch, Nebraska
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
I really want to read this story now. Never even heard about it, but now, i'm really hooked.

on Dec. 6 2010 at 10:00 pm
music_is_my_passion_writing_is_my_soul BRONZE, Virginia Beach, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." -Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

I loved it. Great job!

on Sep. 20 2010 at 6:41 am
NeverCaredForKool-Aid GOLD, Elkridge, Maryland
13 articles 0 photos 531 comments

Favorite Quote:
I don't believe in hell but I believe in my parent's couch-- Watsky

Ok, this was really, really cool.  I loved, loved, loved the line , "Life is not yours until it is at risk" <-- so true.  I really wanna read the story this was based on now, because this was soooo good. The whole gun metaphor wasn't really original, but it fit perfectly in this poem, and I kept on wanting her to let herself pull the trigger.  I'm trying to find something that I can suggest to you to do to make this better, but honestly I'm stumped.  5 stars

By the way, if you have the time, can you check out my story, "Encounter"?


Acumichi23 said...
on Aug. 20 2010 at 5:34 pm
Well writtin and left me to think about this writting. Very nice

anime18 SILVER said...
on May. 25 2010 at 6:32 pm
anime18 SILVER, Brampton, Other
7 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.

wow now that left me speechless

himan said...
on Feb. 4 2010 at 10:06 pm
i really like this awesome

AllOutStorm said...
on Jan. 7 2010 at 4:42 pm
I Really liked it! Very told it more shows you than writes it. Bravo!!

dkA.M SILVER said...
on Nov. 29 2009 at 3:03 pm
dkA.M SILVER, Vail, Arizona
8 articles 0 photos 87 comments
Great job I could really visualize it with your words. You defenitely showed instead of just telling me