No one knows the clandestine yearnings of my soul, The weight of an albatross, takes a heavy toll. Duplicitous or righteous nature, I know not which, Machiavellian or altruistic, change like a mercurial switch. An elegy perhaps for who I was, or maybe who I could’ve been, Weeping a wail of tears, trailing invisible down my chin. No eulogy for me, dead or alive, there will be no praise, A gift or gift, so much dependent on a simple turn of phrase. A writer tortured by words, hand bound by lack of time, Dancing whirls of ink, producing a little poetry and rhyme. A figurative filament burns, electric through my veins, Held captive by an unchosen life unable to break the chains. There is no incandescence at my journey’s closure, Yet, I walk the cobblestone’s the picture of composure. A flameless candle echoes, beseeching a hint of light, Purposeless in living, if it has not fire to fight.
Conquer now the darkness, the secrets of the soul, Stave off the raging powers, let your thunder roll! Naysayers and contradictors, syphon hopes and dreams, Layer yourself in armor, deafened to their screams. Write your words of power, let them proliferate, Cast in stone your dreams, be the master of your fate. Your ship is your command, you alone can lay its course, You have yourself to blame, if you live only in remorse. Don’t be a tortured human, everyone gets knocked down, Do you choose to get up again, or let go and drown? Don’t follow the mariner, in his ancient curse, Adversity is advantage, write a new and stronger verse. Life is perception – good and bad are hollow, No master and commander, ever had time to wallow. Pain is a hard teacher, but a great training ground, Heroics are exacting, bodies littered in the mound. Endeavor to excellence, assuage not the strenuous, Eloquence always favored over loquaciousness. Expect not enigmatic answers to life’s great mysteries, Simple secrets often lead, to the greatest eulogies.
Your life is an example or a warning, you choose, Sleuths often notice – Success? It leaves clues. Be the clue to someone’s Sherlock, unlock the mind, Altruism is easy to give, don’t make it hard to find. The weight of the albatross is lightened by many hands, The yearnings of your soul, God will understand. The clandestine cracks hide, in the heart’s crevices, But that’s where strength is born, in the dark recesses. Joy is in overcoming life’s challenge and obstacles, Happiness is fleeting, so aim for lasting goals. Forget the failures, learn from all you’ve tried, Set sail on the ocean of tears that you’ve cried, Let the filament burn white hot, electrify your drive, Don your dragon armor, thank God you are alive.
NaPoWriMo Day 29 Challenge: “Taylor Swift has released a new double album titled “The Tortured Poets Department.” In recognition of this occasion, Merriam-Webster put together a list of ten words from Taylor Swift songs. We hope you don’t find this too torturous yourself, but we’d like to challenge you to select one these words, and write a poem that uses the word as its title.”
Okay, so I didn’t follow the prompt exactly but I did use six of the ten words and kind of used one in the title. So, you know, coloring outside the lines but still in the sandbox so to speak!
Donna M. Monnig has published numerous books of poetry including Escaping Destiny, Thoughts on Exhibit, Keeper of the Dead, Take the Leap, and Echoes of Time, as well as the children's book Chasing Ghosts. View more of her work at www.dragonshieldpress.com, www.donnamonnig.com, and her author's page on Amazon.
Rhyme N Review 