Mule

Poem about the problems we have in life in general

Step after step I walk,

A little Slow but Steady.
With a back of supplies,
I follow the hand that feeds.

Hours into the road,
I start to tire and pant,
A cracking snake bites,
Terrified, I move swifter.

The two men finally tire,
So we stop for a drink,

We rest for one night,

with my load never removed.

The sun greets us again,
I spit at it with anger,
Raising up from the dead,
Again dragging myself along.

Arriving at the market at last!
Unloading me I breathe again!
I drop on the floor asleep
Not wanting to ever wake up.

The next day I wake up,
Horror strikes me,
I spy the men again,
Dragging a wagon in my place.

Again I shall walk the road,
I will keep walking till I die,
The supplies are what makes me,
So is the journey that sets them free.

Author's Note

This piece is rhyme-less, the whole poem is a metaphor to our life journey, while the supplies being our problems, I hope the last stanza makes that clear.

Reviews

[Devons]

I really like the philosophical punch of the last verse, it seals the message very powerfully, although subtly. The "mule" metaphor -although not original- is a strong one and is immediately recognisable as being symbolic of much of the human race. It makes me think of work: "the supplies" are the labour and "the journey" is the purpose. When looked at in this light, there doesn't seem to be much more to work than just that...! And I think, basically, that is quite true on the whole.
Your poems usually are made up entirely of rhyming verse, but I think this a good example of what else you are capable of. It works very well.

[Arganova]

The language is simple and the point of view unique- the trudge to a market is rarely seen through the eyes of the mule! The imagery is simple, but doesn't distract from the point of the poem, which is quite clear. This piece serves a purpose, and is quite good at conveying clearly what you wanted to say. However, making the final connection as to what it all means for the reader might be unnecessary- if you ever rewrite or revise this piece, I'd play a little with making the reader figure out for themselves what it means. All in all, a solid and simple piece. Very nice.