Still Life

A freestyle poem about being relevant.

My whole life I've been "i"rrelevant.

But, I'm relevant.

I carry the

pride of two races some

die in a race they won.

Some cry on shoulders or pillow cases.

Dried flowers next to broken vases.

Another drop in a sea of broken faces.

I'm broken but fixing to be a legend.

I've been rejected 6 times.

Now, this is my 7th Heaven.

Bless me or curse me, they heard me.

And they see me

achieving dreams that I foresaw

when life was just a wrecking ball.

I was racing downhill to nowhere.

Past signs saying "Don't go there!".

Past friends that I haven't seen

since the last year I was a teen.

My new ways grew out of these old days.

Born again without dying. 

The still life finally in motion.

Truth found after years of lying.

Author's Note

Can you relate to the journey of your own life? Feel free to share your story below...

Reviews

[Nikki]

Howdy Brent: I really enjoyed the poem. Your syntax is spot on. The lines "...rejected 6 times. / Now this is my 7th heaven" is great word choice and somehow evokes the stumbling steps we take in search of who we are to ourselves. Nice work. And yes, it relates! Oh, does it relate.

[Brent]

A couple reviewers have mentioned those lines...interesting. Absolutely I agree that we have to push ourselves to the limit to find out who we are. Glad you connect toy poem.

Thank you for your thoughtful review!

[TerryDarcy-Ryan akaSh..]

Your words have power they are liberating and define your journey for the reader. Our physical form matters slight compared to our hearts. If you have the heart of a warrior than you are a warrior. This I know to be true. Thank you for sharing this and God Bless

Sheer Terror

[Brent]

Yeah I like your review. We have an inner strength that can help us overcome any problems in life. Life is a battle and let's just keep fighting the good fight!

[Mrudula Rani]

Hi,Brent, You are not just relevant, you are brilliant! You bring forth issues that concerns us all. Self worth; the penny that needs shining constantly!

[Brent]

Thank you for your kind words Mrudula! I'm glad you can relate strongly to the message of my poem.

[Mrudula Rani]

You are welcome!

[nastassia]

i really liked this poem very much

[Brent]

Awesome, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review.

[nastassia]

very welcome :)

[emptyinkwell]

Beautiful - and musical - journey to finding yourself. I love your use of "'i'rrelevant" in the first line. It really emphasizes that we each have a special kind of importance to bestow unto the world.

[Brent]

Glad you enjoyed my poem! I agree that we each have a unique gift to contribute to the world. It's empowering to know that our talents matter.

Thank you for your kind words!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

This is sad, poignant and yet uplifting and shows strength of character and you have captured it in your choice of word play and phrasing. The final stanza is the pièce de résistance.

[Brent]

There's beauty in sadness because we can all relate to the pain. I tried to build up the poem to show that life is happier when we're honest to ourselves.

Thank you for your friendly review!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

So long as we keep moving forward my friend, that's the trick. As for myself, I'm simply a student of life; of nature in all its fabulous forms, of thought, philosophy, science, religion and meditation. And I love to read.

[Brent]

Hm that's the first time I've heard that phrase "student of life". I consider you to have coined it! You're right that we just have to keep moving forward, even if we sometimes feel like we're crawling. To your point, I've actually been reading more often. Not surprisingly, I feel more mentally healthy and focused.

Thank you for your thoughtful review!

[Great Aunt Astri]

It takes a while to find one's Truth. But, being an 'oldie' myself, I can tell you ... you never stop learning. As you say in your poem, you are 'in motion', so just go with it, and enjoy.

[Brent]

Glad to know that I'll keep on learning. The wheels are in motion to do great things!

Thank you for your motivational review!

[Mark]

Brent: this poem is precious in a way that few erstwhile poets can even dream of. That it is pertinent to your life, and not just made-up verse, lends such power to your words, not a single one of which is spare or excess to your need. My highest praise. My life was already there but no longer.

[Brent]

Thank you for your terrifically kind words! I'm progressing towards more self-actualized poetry, which is probably a by-product of reading and writing more often. Also working on short stories.

Again I appreciate your friendly review!

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Great title and theme. Clever wordplay. Proud cry and celebration of freedom in your words- " The still life finally in motion"- I applaud you! Creative form, flow and rhyme. You are a most talented young poet- "i"rrelevant" never!. Kudos!

[Brent]

Wow I'm humbled by your glowing review. Thank you! Just trying to infuse my love for music into my poetry. I'm still living life!