One Last Poem

(to Frank O'hara)

One final stanza, one last before I

further loosen these old screws.

Oh mind! I am losing my grip on you,

Even now, the doors to my bedroom open

inch by inch while I gaze away in fast wisps

at the eiffel tower, without being anywhere near Paris,

playing pretend, living in dusty illusion bought 

secondhand, easier not to dream for myself.

What! Yes! There is most certainly a draft

in here. Burnt Sienna, Boron, Noxious, Dazzle me!

Sweep these granite-etched responses

to questions like how are you? and what is this poem about?

up past the attic floor! Houses of sand in the head

crumble the best anyway, not so rigid, collapse the mind in

love and purple music and suffocation and complete and utter

lack of self-awareness, feeling good and looking better, 

Rachmaninoff was born on april fool's day, not me, so

best use of time is probably true love anyway screw 

this preoccupation with writing. I’d rather be boring

than hated, rather liked than understood,

even by myself. I was close to self-realization last

January when I found the surprise inside and 

took it for my soul. Remember back before corners happened?

I suppose that’s fine and yes there is a draft,

but lets lay in it and make lines of feral cold across

this old and sterile place.

Reviews

[kclyaine]

You should separate them properly. I lost the rhyme scheme as I tried to figure out which part should I pause. Nevertheless, the poem is really inspirational. I still don't understand what this poem is about even I reread them a couple of times. Is it illusion or insanity? Or is it the perspective all around? I try to understand but never understood. I guess I don't have empathy.

[Anthony J]

Thanks for the review! I think I'll keep the line breaks how they are, half because there really isn't a rhyme scheme in the piece, but also half because the poet who I took inspiration from (O'hara) does a similar thing with awkward breaks. The poem is kinda about all of the things you just listed, and you're free to take whatever you want from it! And I'm sure you have empathy lol, thanks for reading and reviewing

[Sydney]

I have to agree with Nisreenaa, those lines are very powerful and thought provoking. I liked this piece, just cryptic enough to make you think yet straight forward thoughts throughout

[B]

I’d rather be boring
than hated, rather liked than understood,
even by myself. I was close to self-realization last

I like these lines
I guess its a piece of self reflecting and feeling confused

Only once that peace sits in
Oh waw
HEaven