Taking a break from the usual news and culture articles, by dipping into my poetry vault; this was penned during a difficult period of my life, thus its tone is far from sunny. Nevertheless, it is good to remember from where you came, that you can trust where you are… and where you are going.
Hopefully this will serve as an inspiration, that no matter where you might emotionally be? You never have to STAY there…
Alone
As I stare up at the parapet
of what life could have been,
the rack of pain and suffering
between my bones and skin,
facing the last of my mistakes -
as my body turns to stone,
while everyone I’ve ever loved
has left me here alone.
As I feel the breeze, through open screens
from doors I locked and latched,
the bridges torched along the way
cannot be reattached,
receiving just what I deserve -
a fear that will not cease,
that all the slips of character
will never give me peace,
even the demons who tortured me
for years, within my soul,
abandon this broken empty mind
to face the end alone.
As I lose my faith in fairytales
of forgiveness, and of grace,
the darkness fills my life of cause
with steps I can’t retrace,
the foolishness of how I’ve lived
constricts me as a noose,
the guilt of things I can’t escape
and will not cut me loose,
the truth of terror weighs on me
for I know there’s no one left,
to comfort me when Karma comes
to steal my dying breath,
to know that none will really care -
when dead and truly gone,
accepting truth I finally take
these lonely steps…
alone.
Written October 2008
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Notes…
-- Unless otherwise credited, all images were created by the author, using Substack’s AI Image Generator.
"even the demons who tortured me
for years, within my soul,
abandon this broken empty mind
to face the end alone." - I really relate to this bit of your poem. 2008 was a tough year for me too. Due to the financial crash I had to give up my fruit farm in Spain and trudge, broken-hearted back to polluted and miserable UK. Hardly a day goes by that I don't remember some little joy that I experienced living off grid with my animals. My demons whisper "you should have stayed there..." and "you have lost everything you worked for..." and "what did you expect?"
Arghh.... we all make decisions that we live to regret but I guess that is part of growing to understand that we are not infallible.
That was a difficult year. Precursor to my first dark night.
Your pieces that have this lyrical flow to them but heavier content... they remind me of why I like Sting/The Police so much.
There's something similar happening here with the lyrical cadence being something you'd expect from something more upbeat being contrasted with the darker subject matter. The unexpectedness of the contrast completely alters the feel. 🔥
I hope this is making sense the way I'm saying it because I love this about your work.