Battered Shells

Standing lonely in a crowd

Feelings severed, screaming loud;

Heart rejected, growing cold

Trusting ways begin to fold

Waking eyes find life revealed,

Wonder when the dirge was pealed;

Love was captured, tears ran wild

From the young but learning child

Finding life like solitaire

Some that need but none that care,

Most that take but none that give

All that die and none that live

Reaching out to no one there

Leaving all your feelings bare;

Soon to nothing they will grind

Leaving but a shell behind

Looking ’round this empty sea

Battered shells stand facing me,

Standing near but none in reach

Each alone on private beach

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

"Battered Shells"
Terry O'Leary,
Standing on the beach of life finding it a place of difficulty and joy, pain and enterprise. Your poem speaks within this theme of layers of time lived from childhood to adulthood and beyond.
line# 1, "Standing lonely in a crowd" is very relatible..
line # 5, "Waking eyes find life revealed," Life is revealing and nothing is hidden but needs addressing and hopefully a lesson learned.
Wonder when the dirge was pealed;" Very black and white here. Another realization given.
Your last stanza felt like I am standing and watching the empy sea bed after the tide is totally out.
Last paragraph:
"Standing round this empty sea
Battered shells stand facing me,
Standing near but none in reach
Each alone on private beach."
I truly enjoyed this your first poem entered here.
Blessings to you!
Kathy

[Sai]

I imagine a really lonely person standing in the beach staring out into the ocean. Beautifully written and allows visualization!

[Valentine]

This is really a deeply thought out write. Makes the reader think of his own life, not just the writers. Well done. Valentine

[marcus]

What a tragic view of loneliness and solitude in a cruel uncaring world. Great poem!! I like your writing.