poem: The Grief That Drowns You

written for a contest

inspired by John M.

 

Weep, my man, for what can never be-

 a society not indifferent to your needs-

and journey on, then.

Take comfort in starlight, and the warm embrace

of tides that ebb and flow, understanding

you are not quite the solitary misanthropic entity

you created. Our paths, purposeless, seemingly,

perhaps ensconced though

in patterns just beyond comprehension.

 

For we are drifting on the stream of the world, eternally

and it is our grief that drowns us, not the nature

of the current, or the swiftness of the passing,

 or even the turbulence

of the flow. Shame can bind-

limbs wound tight with molten brass artificiality,

searing flesh with welts visible only to the bearer-

but it is grief, unbounded, unchecked, that becomes rage.

 

Leaden, firm,

encasing both spiritual feet ,

dragging us down and rooting us firmly in our unmet desire.

In shallows, at best, simply prohibiting forwardness of motion,

in depths, at worst, having the power

to bring us to those sunless haunted places where slavering ravenous beasts

with sarcastic cutting razor honed claws

tear at the pulsing veins of our emotional heart,

bleeding one dry of passion, inspiration, reason-

that fueled our greatest visions.

 

Despair is a hungry thing,

dressed in trappings of "this is just reality I am waking to"

it seduces in a crooning lilting lullaby

while positioning to slide home the killing slice.

Tarrying overlong in these dark spaces, where all the light of the world

is unable in all its power to penetrate,

this thing will consume you,

and the resulting vaccuum of manhood

shall destroy all kith and kin who try to remind you, "there is yet hope".

 

To surface again, you must accept-

this power is too strong- take the universal lifeline,

whispers of glad tidings in the dreamer's ear,

kindness of strangers, and the doctor's words,

and hold tight to sanity- for the concrete of your ungrieved

thoughts, losses, desires careworn

is just too heavy, too firmly set,

for any man,

to release on his own-

and only then shall the current lift you,

to bear you away once more.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

first draft- written quickly for me. Let me know if you spot any errors I missed.

Written for Albert's poetry contest, inspired by a man I know who went mad in his suspicion and hatred, almost killing his wife in the process.

Reviews

[cest la vie]

In reading this, at a few points I thought, "she wrote about me"..i have seen that hair-like line between sanity and insanity.. by the grace of the universe i managed to retreat.

In all it's despair and raw honesty, this is a wonderful poem. I have so very much missed reading your poems. You move emoitions around in me like a tide on the full moon.

"whispers of glad tidings in the dreamer's ear"- stunning line (one of many)

I see nothing to change..honestly..
a fine piece Rachael....

"

[Blue Belle]

Nice.

[Marie Anzalone]

thnaks for your comment today

[Larry Dyson]

love this poeticly descriptive stanza"Leaden, firm,

encasing both spiritual feet ,

dragging us down and rooting us firmly in our unmet desire.

In shallows, at best, simply prohibiting forwardness of motion,

in depths, at worst, having the power

to bring us to those sunless haunted places where slavering ravenous beasts

with sarcastic cutting razor honed claws

tear at the pulsing veins of our emotional heart,

bleeding one dry of passion, inspiration, reason-

that fueled our greatest visions."gonna enter in the depression contest.

[J]

"Despair is a hungry thing"...

I've been to this place and back, and admittedly relished far too much in its agony.

It's strange, in knowing of this predicament, yet being unable, through sheer masochism, to want to pull out of it.

This is intense, devastating, and sucked me right in.

[Tate Morgan]

aBSOLUTLY BEAUTIFUL HERE HERE DAMN GOOD

[Ellen Hammond]

Deep and wise. This has a good flow and a very important message. I really like it.

[Helen Crutchett]

Marie, what a wonderful, poem full of insight and wisdom. Thank you for submitting this to "Keeping the Dream Alive! ~ Helena

[KatiePie]

I haven't read a poem with this type of flow in a to long of a time, its strong, and in that strength there's beauty. The concept is gorgeously portrayed by your words and reading this, every syllable moved the images flashing through my mind, like watching an amazing movie this piece kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved reading this and I hope to read more of your work in the near future. :)
-Cathrine

[An owl on the moon]

This overwhelmed me in the waves.. had to read your last passage several times.. the hope to be lifted from the darkness and despair.. I need to journey to that place.. will follow the path you've set out here.

[Jamie S.]

This wonderful write makes me think of the diary of a mad man and if the pages could talk back this is what they would say. Way to dig deep girl, definatly a thought provoking read!!