The Empty Chairs Next To Me

We always walk with the shadows of the past.

I played games with my brothers,

And their friends.

Each, I remember all
Noah and his horror-heart
Mike and his wild spirit
Titus of the ahead; troubled times

Today, the play-rooms

Are empty

As the friendly phantoms

Faded into the pages

Early made

News of Noah

And his noose

Lonely Titus unguided,

Trouble provided

An orange suit

Mike drowned

In a hill of snow, to which

I wish he had said,

No

I still play,

With this company

Of ghosts.

Author's Note

Reminiscing on the past.

Reviews

[Joeydevinci]

I may seem harsh in this review but its only because I wish the best of your poetry. I understand the sorrows of reminiscing in the past, in which you captured quite well, but I do wish you'd use more punctuation to make the sentence emerge from the screen. As if you, yourself, were directly speaking to the reader. As an add on bounce punctuation makes it more understandable, and the reader is at ease reading it.

A faithful admirer of your marvelous work, J.V

[TheRaven]

Thank you for the close read! I always value constructive criticism. The lack of punctuation emerged from the mood and the way I was thinking while I wrote this. I could break the rules and say we're not meant to be at ease when thinking/reading about this. Still, I feel I could definitely throw some more punctuation in there. This was a lightly edited draft.

[Joeydevinci]

I can see that very plainly but when I mean at ease, I'm mean the words should feel fitting in your mind enough to roll down the tongue as you're reading it making you mumble each word as you go along.

[TheRaven]

Ahhh, alright. That makes sense. I get ya' now!

[Bacchus]

Interesting piece... because it ends that you still play with this company...
bittersweet
almost a self fulfilling prophesy set up here
wonder if you should switch the two revealing lines about mike and titus when you show their fates since they are reversed in the introduction.
Is it supposed to read ahead- or head- just not sure.
How's that for correcting you while I use, like, no punctuation. lol
Sad and sweet...
and makes the reader ask...
what were you like to- and wth have you gotten yourself into?!

[TheRaven]

Yeah, I wondered about switching it as well. And it is supposed to read 'ahead', it was purposeful. Troubled times ahead. I like playing with phrases like that. Me? I'm generally normal! These are just people I knew. Noah was depressed. Mike was a good kid but prone to making those kind of mistakes. Titus was from a household where he was neglected quite a bit and his upbringing makes sense. No guidance put him in prison a few times. I wasn't with the two who passed away, I had only heard about it. So, I think of them time to time. Remembering when they'd come over to hang with my older brothers and we'd all play video games. This is just... me thinking on how things changed so quietly and so quickly.

[Bacchus]

I like how you play with words- saying ahead... but this time it tripped me up.
Normal... right. ;)

[Coyote Poetry]

Good to travel back to childhood memories. I enjoyed the story in the poetry. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[TheRaven]

Half and half. It can be good, it can be bad. Sad, as well. Thanks for the read, and thoughts!

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree and you are welcome.

[Autonomous]

It is a great poem, losing friends is very hard. I have also lost friends to their decisions and it wasn't so easy to get through. Nostalgia isn't always a good thing.

[TheRaven]

It never is an easy thing. If it was, that person miiiiggghhttt be a sociopath. And no, nostalgia can definitely be bad if time is spent with it too long. Thank you for the read and praise, Zwsed!

[Wolf_Lord]

Very interesting... isn't it funny how the past can pop up at the weirdest times? 25 years after the death of my best frn and I am still struggling with it. I think I too need write about it. I have never really had closure. Long Story. Wolf_Lord

[TheRaven]

Sometimes we'll never know the 'why' these things happen. We know the basic, literal reasons but not the closure we're looking for. I've never written about these three before, but I think it helps. To get it out there. One day we can accept it, not to forget them and their meaning; but be... somewhat at peace with it all.

[Bare Trees]

Its tough to lose friends. I've had a bunch disappear through death. Two were by suicide. I think about them often. I can understand why you do too.

[TheRaven]

Thank you for your words. I feel... I feel it's good to think about them. It's nice to hear from someone that understands that loss.