Finding Hope in an Inkblot Masterpiece

My first try at slam poetry with the prompt "Why do I write Poetry?" Any slammers have advice?

I am Frankenstein’s monster--

a tired traveler yearning to break free

from this cage, this lonely overpopulated

world. Here, I stand in a crowded 

grocery store listening to people yell and

scream and walk right into me as

if I’m not even there. No apologies,

No turned heads, only an elderly

man sprinting towards the beer 

aisle like it was the finish line of a 

marathon while I’m left alone on 

a dirty floor that hasn't been mopped 

since last Tuesday. I guess never leave 

a man behind doesn't apply here.

I am Dorian Gray, and while my

body appears young the hidden

portrait hanging in my attic shows

otherwise. Although I may not be 

covered with the burdens of sin and

my own selfishness, I am covered 

with the wrinkles of disappointment 

and hopelessness printed on the front 

page of Newsday. Each day I feel 

myself grow older inside, and I am 

disgusted by the mirror that stands

before me--the way my long hair and

curvy body can land me a job before

they even take a glance at my  résumé.

I too have a beautiful mind and soul

to offer the world, but it seems no one

cares to undress that side of me.

I am Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg,
Frank O’Hara. I am Emily Dickinson,

and Sylvia Plath too. I am a writer

with a wandering mind and a terrible

sense of direction. I inhale the negative 

energy that surrounds me, and hold it 

between the spaces of my lungs.

After a few moments, I exhale

and allow the energy to pour out

of me like an overflowing waterfall

after the storm. I can feel each

overwhelming thought escape my

mind and find its way onto the blank

white sheet before me. I see the people

gather around the falls, stepping back

from reality for a few quiet seconds

as I raise a completed verse up to

the sunlight.

Inkblots and all, I have never seen

anything so beautiful. 

Reviews

[EdgarLovecraft]

This poem is awesome. : ) I usually can't get in to poems that don't rhyme but this poem is definitely the exception to that quirk of mine.

[LaVonneTheLovely]

This is absolutely stunning, and quite uplifting! It's also quite relatable to any woman who's been judged for looks before being able to show the world the things she Really has to offer. I LOVE your poem.