Yesterday's Promise

Fleeting memories pass by

like flashes of light on a window pane.

Frolicking in the whimsical jest of notions,

long past but still retained.

Thoughts of you bring tears,

weighted in unresolved sorrow.

Unlike yesterday's promise

for me, there will be no tomorrow.

I shun the night's lengthy withdraw

clinging to the hope that nod finds me,

with one last sip of the bottle to chase

the fleeting memories that remind me.

Angst filled, lined with heartache

clouds of despair as far as the eye can see

quelled in one last swallow of pity

dulled only by the bottle laid before me.

I wash away the last taste of sanity

hidden within the reaches of my soul

swallowing hard the painful realities

hastened by angers maddening cajole.

Sleep long chased from my bed

my mind finds no lasting relief

just unrelenting cheers and jeers

of a life mocked in bitter grief.

I shun the night's lengthy withdraw

clinging to the hope that nod finds me

with one last sip of the bottle to chase

the fleeting memories that remind me.

Swept away on a moments notice

Cut short in her youthful ways,

all forgotten but the dying roses

and the hallow echo of empty days.

Stone castles, pillars of memories

line deaths inevitable road

one by one, they pass on by

bereft, shattered in secrets untold.

I watch the last sweet notion wave goodbye

letting painful impressions take their stand,

drifting between grief and utter disbelief

wringing tightly between quilted hands.

Oh Lord be near me, forgive me,

In prayer I weep to the trodden night.

Release me from this earthly home

and lay to rest this tormented life.

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Great write.I felt the sadness and remorse in this piece...the knowing that the whiskey doesn't make things any better but perhaps not caring at that moment...the striving to cope with reality while trying to absolve the grip of it...it is a forlorn feeling...been there...done that...have the tee shirt and the memory...but I just FIDO... "Forget It and Drive On" Aint no future in the past and nothing to be gained by looking down or back but a lot to be said for keeping your chin up and looking ahead. Blessings of peace and love, F.

[Seshat Nidaba]

This is haunting, we've all been there. Some poets feed off of insomnia like students who study through the night. It's not secret poets are more neurotic, but the shocking part is poets probably over-stimulate the amygdala and the ACC of the brain in a manner that messes with serotonin levels and stimulates a bi-polar like state.

I've probably written about 800 poems just like this one, nice read!

[Muse]

This reminded me how easy it is to cling to habit and material things when one becomes depressed. We forget that we are more than broken spirits. We all have gifts that become burdens if not shared. This was a beautiful thought-provoking write.

[Dahlia Phoenix]

"Sleep long chased from my bed
my mind finds no lasting relief
just unrelenting cheers and jeers
of a life mocked in bitter grief."

I can feel the deep sadness within this poem. Makes you think through the things you do through your life. Quite the understanding on that basis. I couldn't put it any other way.

[Crow]

A beautiful heartfelt piece of inspiration, you have set my memories in motion.

Thank you!

[A Soap Mess Stories]

great job...could feel the sadness in your words...

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

absolutely wonderful write

[J.V. Stanley]

I love the repetition of this stanza:

I shun the night's lengthy withdraw
clinging to the hope that nod finds me
with one last sip of the bottle to chase
the fleeting memories that remind me.

brings about familiarity within the work, and it is strong and so full of meaning that it warrants repeating. When I read this poem, it almost reminded me of someone battling alcoholism, reminiscing of the woes of the past and how the drowning of those woes, the cracking of the bottle, the reliance of that substance...creates a hellish void of inner torment whose only release is within the ending of that life. Again, your masterful words are captivating.

[Everson Taveras]

I felt the voice of melancholy echo throughout this piece. Your contemplation of things unsaid, and moments long away but never forgotten, make for an engaging read. It leaves the reader wanting to reflect in a moment of reverie, questioning if he or she had done enough.

[Inyourshadow]

As one whom long ago shunned his sanity and as a long sufferer of insomnia I so enjoyed this poem, the powerful emotional bonds that tie each line to the next drawing the reader deeper almost drowning as the words pour over them like tears. This is beautifully done and so perfectly expressed. Keep em' coming

Thanks for agreeing about Changes poem.

[Crowley]

Let the light through at least, in fits and lashes, jump start this healing and hold my hand as I walk the walk of the affected...I feel the pull of life and the groundwork you have set before me.

I liked this alot...nice work.