The Revenant

The Revenant

 

 

I'm impenitent, a consequential revenant

And an idea you could never ignore.

I'm preeminent and malevolent; the troubled resident

Who’ll leave you in the corner begging, "no more".

 

I will sweep across you all,

I see your hearts, I see your darkest desires

and I twist them. I am your downfall.

Too many to put out are the fire's fires.

 

Remnants of your glory days,

Shades of what you used to be,

All you are, I will raze

And I'll leave nothing but your plea.

 

Don't make a mess you can't clean true,

It will haunt you, and so will I.

My blades cut deep, they run through

The toughest flesh, clean through the eye.

 

I’m the phantom in your mirror,

The doubt that sets in like cancer.

Ever closer I edge, clearer, nearer,

And to you I will never answer.

 

You’ll never see me coming,

For I wear the same mask as you.

Can’t you hear it? The drumming

That calls to one; I wonder who?

 

 

Reviews

[Vicky]

I don't get. I must admit. But I like it nonetheless. Several sentences--the same ones I enjoyed most--prod at my subconscious, hinting toward clarity. Still, your meaning escapes my understanding. My best guess is that it is truth haunting the subject.
In any case, I've added this to my favourites list, where it belongs. Very well done.

[Con Campbell]

Hi Vicky, thanks for the kind words! The poem covers a lot, I suppose... For me, it's about the things we don't see, and the things we take for granted. In my case it's about mental illness - something you'd certainly never see coming, and something that's entirely too easy to pretend isn't there. Interpretation is such a big part of poetry, so I always try to write from a more open perspective. I love the idea of a reader taking something else from the piece!

[Derekv]

Wow, excellent piece. One of the best poems I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The imagery is so beautiful and profound, and it is very much open to different interpretations.

Keep up the good work!

-Derekv

[Raj Sahu]

“I’m the phantom in your mirror,
The doubt that sets in like cancer.
Ever closer I edge, clearer, nearer,
And to you I will never answer.

You’ll never see me coming,
For I wear the same mask as you.
Can’t you hear it? The drumming
That calls to one; I wonder who?"

It's really an amazing work by you. I like the flow, the rhymes and the binding power you used here. Somewhere I am a little bit perplexed and pondering over some lines to think and rethink their very profound meaning and interpret it. It is indeed an awesome writing. Keep writing.