"Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath

This is a poem that I only discovered quite recently, whilst flicking through a book at work. The language is incredibly powerful, and feels as though there is a tangible energy running through each line-even each word.

Due to the length of the poem, I will only put in a few of my favourite verses (these are not necessarily in order):

Them unwrap me hand and foot
The big strip tease
Gentlemen, Ladies

As a sea-shell.
They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls

Ash, ash-
You poke and stir.
Flesh, bone, there is nothing there-

A cake of soap,
A wedding ring,
A gold filling

Herr God, Herr Lucifer
Beware
Beware.

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air

Sylvia Plath

A haunting poem, illustrating Plath's own experience with suicide. Not easy to forget.