My Island

Poem from a book of poetry I'm in the process of writing: The Sequence of My life

My Island

Written By: Destiny R. Glenn

 

I stand there in the middle of nowhere

You’re out there off in the distance

Your desperation and intensity is unbarring

This is my island

I created this with just voice and emotion

You scream my name

I run without a thought

You can’t be here

It isn’t safe

This is where bonds are destroyed

Hearts are broken

Rage runs wild

Water sets free

I don’t know how you got in here

There are a million keys

You’re right in front of me

I sink into the sand

Not ready for this encounter

This is where I can be me

You’d run off before I could blink

This girl in here is not what you normally see

This girl in your sight is like a treasure map

She shows clues here and there

You never quite pick up on them

There will always be bits and pieces that slip out

Until you put the puzzle together

This island continues to be mine

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I like this poem much better than the other one I just reviewed, becuz you are really owning your story here. There's a clear delineation between "I" and "you" . . . this is the crux of the message . . . I'm here, you don't belong here, or else just be here at your own risk. I created this & I own it. That's what makes this poem ten times more powerful than the other one.

I actually relate this poem to when I was a young adult, as I went around breaking hearts left & right, but I felt justified in my actions, becuz I always warned people, I'm not into commitment at all. I felt that absolved me of the pain I caused others who tried to love me. I see some of that in your message here, too. But someday later on, it becomes obvious that it still matters that we hurt or shut out other people, even if we felt very justified while doing it.

I don't mean this as a criticism or a lecture on humanity. Just observations on a long life filled with many ups & downs. All in all, your writing voice is very clear, distinct, & original.

[AliciaB]

This poem is amazing. It is very complex and has so much depth and emotion behind it. I can relate to the idea of being alone in your own head, simultaneously free to be yourself and trapped because there is no one else who truly understands your perspectives and experiences. Therefore, paradoxically, I also cannot relate to you, as this is "your island", and there is no way for me to access it the way you do. There are several intricate and powerful themes woven together throughout this piece. Foremost is the idea of this being your own mental reality, the world in which you can escape, illustrated by lines such as "This is my island / I created this with just voice and emotion" (that second line, by the way, is my favorite of the whole poem... but I love them all!)... "Water sets free"... "This is where I can be me"... and "Until you can put the puzzle together / This island continues to be mine." Another important theme is the warning for other people to stay back, to stop trying to enter or understand this mental world of yours because they will be hurt by it: "You can't be here / It isn't safe / This is where bonds are destroyed / Hearts are broken / Rage runs wild." Those are some beautiful lines, by the way, illustrating your desperate compassion and attempts at protecting others while they unwittingly hurt you and themselves when they are only trying to help. Another theme is idea of imprisonment and isolation, as seen in "I stand there in the middle of nowhere"... "I run without a thought" (I get the mental image of a person running around frantically on a small stretch of sand with nowhere to go)... "There are a million keys" (paradoxically trying to protect the outsiders attempting to come in, but also trapping the one who is inside)... and "I sink into the sand." I also really like the image of the "treasure map", which fits beautifully into the idea of an "island", and of seeing only "bits and pieces" of someone without every getting the full picture. This poem is wonderfully constructed and flawlessly executed. I love it so much. Excellent, excellent work!

[Destiny Glenn]

Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it.