the external mask
it is a comfort to shield
when off, more guarded
Tag: life
Further Ponderings
Have you ever read someone else’s work and left a comment on what you read, then realized that the comment in and of itself required deeper pondering? And then the additional pondering produced another piece of poetry?
Well, that exact scenario recently happened when I was fortunate enough to read two pieces: Ken Gierke’s “Without, as within,” and VJ Knutson’s “The Magic of Poetry.” And on the same day! I loved their thoughts, and they inspired me further. Every opportunity to think a bit more in-depth and reevaluate settled thoughts is one of the best parts of being a poet/writer.
inspiration
leads to emotions
then leads to truths
the cycle of life
twisting and turning
up and down
life happens to us,
but is experienced within
providing a constant dance between the two
A Changing Future
AI is happy
the singularity comes
controlling our lives
Insouciance
every continent is burning
millions of people raging in agony
the pendulum has swung so far wrong
politicians persecuting, punishing, and oppressing
free speech denied, freedom held hostage, joy sucked out of existence
we are currently living in a bizarro world in full color, yet under a cloak of darkness
children shrieking with every breath from mass shootings and genocides
terrorized into silence as the whistles of flying bullets encroach their personal space
many adults having to endure a government overreach like we’ve not witnessed in decades
and yet, the indifference as events unfold is crippling the human experience
the callous ones seem deaf, dumb, and blind to the warning signs all around them
no concern shown, no care for change, not one plight reaching their empathy button
until it affects them…
then it affects me…
What’s In A Name
there’s an elephant in the room
my sister and i were named after the pets
the fur babies were apparently the favorites
my parents were lazy or we weren’t sublime enough
they couldn’t even be bothered to do this small task
to gift us an original name
maybe it’s because the dog and the cat
brought them more joy than their own kids
we’ll never know now
slackers
**My sister was named after an aunt, and the dog’s name. Everyone knew her by the name of the dog. I got the cat’s name and my mother’s name, but was called by the cat’s name. Ultimately, my sister ended up dropping the aunt’s name, and I dropped my mother’s name. I guess we liked our pet names.
Trapped
Redux
I
can see
the better
life shining clear,
can almost taste it.
But it’s just out of reach.
Down again, gave in again
to the temptations of my sins.
Every so often I regret it.
Shame, guilt, anger, sickness, hunger for death.
Self-medication, self-flagellation;
It’s all I seem to know anymore.
The bruises of the bottle stain
my life a shade of dingy
and gray in this bright world.
Can I escape it?
I would like to
just get out
of this
hell.
Originally posted 4/7/2019 on I Write Her.
Getting There
life rarely takes a direct line
to an efficient conclusion
we are offered inviting passages
leading to thresholds
providing possible transitions
if we pick the right doorways
do make wise choices
and properly understand directions
Meliorism
this life
a constantly oscillating wave
to the very end
things are mostly out of our control
but hopefully we recognize
what we can take charge of
our impacts and those intentional interventions around us
may they bring desired outcomes
for a life we won’t regret
Flanked
drained while supporting others
arduous but necessary
still, it’s hard
those who lean on you
see only their needs
their dependence required
you’re not a saint
only a giving human
a natural state of being
it’s exhausting
but it’s loving
we all do the best we can
Circling Or Tilting?
Inspired by Reena’s Xploration Challenge #401
“circling the drain” feels
life’s tilts destabilizing
survival at stake
I Write Her 