Kalopsia

(noun) The delusion of things being more beautiful than they are.

Life used to beat me until I was numb,

until I felt empty and cried no more.

I had no control over the outcome,

felt like a prisoner within a war.

Endless battles between the heart and mind

splintered my soul into angled edges.

With a thousand miles before and behind,

I pulled myself from the darkest dredges.

 

I recovered my wings and learned to fly,

looked at the world from a new perspective.

I rose like a phoenix into the sky.

The shift in sunlight was most effective.

A river of tears became a desert.

A heart of stone was cast into the sea.

Brackets of bone absorbed the introvert.

For the first time, I was happy and free.

 

I claimed myself, my dignity, and blood.

No salient saints were cleansing my hands.

I challenged the mythos of clay and mud,

wrestled with my faith and all it demands.

No one could save me except for myself.

Whispers of old ones fell soft as feather.

I wrote them in volumes, fixed them on shelf.

Years of wisdom were bound in black leather.

 

Time is a weaver of silver and gold.

We are threaded sunlight, moonlight, and stars.

The past is our truth and cannot be sold.

We cannot trespass in this life of ours.

We swim through the portals of looking glass,

showered with ribbons of pathos and pain;

and as we live, all things shall come to pass.

For every sorrow there is much to gain.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

"Time is a weaver of silver and gold.

We are threaded sunlight, moonlight, and stars."

Love the above lines! With every moment we gain new perspective. We learn what is important, what is truly beautiful compared to what is all glitter and shine. It doesn't devalue the worth of gold that pyrite imitates its shine; or diamonds because they are imitated by cubic zirconium. But if one thinks about it, they're only rocks and minerals, all. People kill other people for diamonds and gold. It seems a most regrettable absurdity that life has so little value compared to resources of worldly wealth. I think about such things all the time, how a poor man's life is devalued by the rich when the rich became that way from the labor of the poor. It seems a terrible injustice and inequity. I love that you mention human dignity here because I have found that in the most wretched and poverty stricken corners of society whereas I have seen the want and lack of it in some of the most influential. It was the same in Solomon's time and the observations are covered well in the Book of Ecclesiastes. "Vanity, vanity says the preacher." And I echo his refrain.

[willweb]

Brings a favorite song to mind, Remain by the Great Divide. "And every sorrow has a touch of pain, I will remain. " Pain is lesson we learn from. Beautiful poem Linda

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Will.

[Seriana]

I love learning new vocabulary. Linda, what an amazing write. I was especially drawn to this passage "We cannot trespass in this life of ours.". I paused an re-read that one quite a few times. It struck a chord with me.

I also found a gentle reminder in the ending line. A personal reminder of sorts.
Thank you for sharing your myriad words. They are wonderful!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Seriana.

[Ken Simm.]

I find this a wonderful write of opposites and empathy. So well worded there are/is a pethora of lines I wish I had written.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Ken.

[Chris Shaw]

It is said that if you don’t experience true pain you will not recognize the peaks of happiness. I do believe we grow through the trials we face. We learn and gain wisdom. To rise like a phoenix out of the depths of misery shows huge strength of character. Loved this poem Linda. Reminds me of resilience, the sort that people have to face during years of conflict.

Chris

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Chris.

[John the Baptist]

Has the sound of a rise from chaos to hard won wisdom. It is said that problems can actually become opportunities, and that appears to be what happened here. The road from down to up may have been a difficult one, but the work was worth it.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, John.