Fade - allow the fade .....

when the dust settles, 

what will be left?

what can you ever claim for your own?

you’ve dealt in idols

you the idol

you have shone your light 

bright enough just to warm, 

just enough to keep the hangers on 

hanging

enough is it, too stroke your ego?

your narcissistic ways 

envelop the fools

you hypnotise 

unthinking they follow

like a pack of lap dogs 

and this causes you to smile?

oh my friend, I’m no expert 

but with this gift of consciousness 

I must choose to use to follow my own path 

speak my own truths

live with authenticity

‘throw away your idols’ 

are four words I dedicate my life

is that why you have never liked me?

I think - because I can

I have the fortitude of a mother protecting her own

I am - and I know it

come my friend, tell me

who is the truest true to you?

those who spend their days waiting 

for you to shine the light?

or those who hold no fear and 

walk single minded, stumbling at times, 

learning along the way

towards the light

Reviews

[Beccy]

Leaders and followers; it's the pack hypnotized by the fox, the exact opposite to how it appears; but then again, nature is ultimately the more predatory.

'you have shone your light
bright enough just to warm,
just enough to keep the hangers on
hanging
enough is it, too stroke your ego?'

Comes a poor second to the protective instincts of a mother, who will strike without fear or remorse if her young are threatened.

Beccy.

[drew garner]

it is really relatable but it sounds almost like old testament bob dylan...kind of tone and phrasing. I would say don't argue with your feelings but at the same time maybe make it less grandiose? it is something I struggle with myself how to use language in a way that implies scale without falling into camp. and my own answer to it was using a dark sense of humor to temper my shadow with irony if that made any sense? but then again bob Dylan wrote when the ship comes in when he was refused a hotel room so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

[Einstein Noodle]

universal thoughts ..relatable in lots of situations and levels .. i am reminded of someone who offers "pearls to swine" ... the Good Book (my Bible) tells me not to do it lest the swine turn and rend you (paraphrased) Mathew 7:6
having trouble with neighbors dear heart! ;)

[John the Baptist]

This can only be about an ex-lover.

[KWP]

actually it is about the owner of the company I work for :D

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree my dear friend.
"or those who hold no fear and
walk single minded, stumbling at times,
learning along the way
towards the light"
The above is a lesson, all of us must learn. We must go forward with a hopeful heart. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Davidgeo]

There is no such thing as "living in authenticity".

The truth is a lie. Probably.

[KWP]

You may be right but I liken it to dialogue in Bikram Yoga - example - the standing back bend - keep your eyes gazing gazing and one day the gaze will reach the floor ....

Authenticity will only be reached if the desire is there to begin with ...

[wordman]

sounds like a departure of souls,you tell it like it is and can`t be conquered to comply
he is used to getting his way and cannot take the pressure

[barleygirl]

As I read you poem, my mind is bifurcated. On one path, I'm simply admiring the way you express these ideas & this questioning. On the other path, I'm thinking . . . you really couldn't address a narcissist with a message such as this. It would be impossible for their ego to understand what you're saying. It would sound like gibberish. Your poem addresses the many kinds of narcissists, but my dad was a particularly evil kind, the kind that rapes his own children regularly (as young as toddler age) expecting us to reflect back to him his own self-perceived sexual greatness. Nobody could've convinced him he was hurting us. He believed he was doing us the favor of preparing us for life. That's why your questioning strikes me in the style of someone batting his/her head against a very hard tree knot. It's also how I feel when I think about 40% of this country idolizing & believing Trump (another narcissist of the worst kind) . . . sometimes it strikes me as a mind-boggling inability to see what's right in front of the eyes. And this brings me to your title (which I love) . . . sometimes you just have to allow the fade *sigh!* Sorry for getting so wordy, third cup of coffee! (cold -- no fire this morning!) Fondly, Margie

[jacob erin-cilberto]

makes me reflect here...who has been the truest true?
i can think of several who have been in the stable of stability of friendship...
a host of those really caring...not those who idolize themselves too much to give.
j.

[Curtis.Lenker]

This is a very powerful poem. I can relate to this one so much. The imagery if fantastic.