Ode to Guilt

Tranquilise your soul
So you may grow old
In calmed conscience

Find a way to forget
The shame, the pain
Remorse and regret

The still of your dusk
Calls back the voices
Thought to be forgot

Small lies and deceit
Cruel words, vanities
An oversight, a fight

Selfishness, jealousy
Misguided assistance
Revenge, rage, fallacy

Every Pandora’s Box
Far inside every mind
Opens up in this time

This quiet grayish time
As you await your end
Wondering about him

What he will bring you
When he finally comes
As you wait and worry

This is the time when
You will see your guilt
Writ inside your mind

Show plays every night
Same old show of woe
A procession of shame

An error becomes a sin
Inescapable, relentless
Standing on your grave

When the mind is quiet
You will know your guilt
And thus know yourself

But not before.

Reviews

[ice]

Sheesh! I thought I would come here and read a poem in your back pages, leave a nice review, that might cheer you up, and help you a little to get out of your funk..But reading this poem made me a little funky..lol, not really, what is, is, and this poem is, and says the truth, even if that truth is hard to face..you have done the poets job well...and that is to have no mercy on your subject, or reader.

[Solitaireman]

Zoe,
While I was reading your verse, I thought why did she not write it in a formation of a cross? Because it would appear guilt is the proverbial 'cross we all bear'. You kept everything tight. It reads well. What I really love is the force you put behind the words. It literally 'hits you between the eyes'. Thank you for sharing.

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

'Tranquillise your soul...' is a great way to start your poem. From that moment on the reader is at your mercy and almost feels a part of your poem. Powerful writing.

[.]

"This is the time when
You will see your guilt
Writ inside your mind"
~~being that guilt is me~~
...this verse really touched me...
(great poem)

:)

[Art Sun]

nice...even in the years when one finds that it is easier to be without the saturated mess of life blocked within there is but the end of life...better to know thy true self than to die filled with guilt...

nice work...

[vido.]

beautiful content and powerful concept.

[....]

Every Pandora’s Box
Far inside every mind
Opens up in this time

i like these lines here. This write makes one think.

[Alicia Schroeder]

This is an amazing peice, i love it.

[luciddreamer]

When the mind is quiet/ you will know your guilt/ and thus know yourself/ but not before....although the whole writing was an amazing piece of work this last stanza and line is pure genius....
Peace
Robin

[SpokenWord]

Do all people ever actually feel guilt or is it just a fear of dying? Some people seem to be able to do anything good or bad without second thought, no remorse no wishes to do it over again. Your poem is an exploration of one man who finally begins to think about his past actions but it is too late for him to gain forgiveness in life. Nice write.