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Best Poems Written by Caitlin Essenburg

Below are the all-time best Caitlin Essenburg poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Sea Turtle

Small, beautiful face stares up at me
When did you become so exquisitely you (so entirely other than me)?
I've spent my life consumed in myself
You, the rock in the background of my sorrow (listening, understanding, comforting)
The waves of my emotions and actions
Rolling off you
Leaving you the same (innocent, sweet, content).

Lie. 
What a lie.
Sailing through scenes of times that seem to float up from another lifetime
I realize that rock was alive--
The back of a sea turtle (head tucked inside)
Who felt every tear and cut
Who love and love and love
And grew

You are you (so fundamental and yet amazing)
With worries and dreams so unconnected to me
No longer my shadow
But always my sea turtle

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Self-Delusionment of Open-Mindedness

Hidden safe in my cozy shell, there is nothing to fear.
The world calls with it’s voice of adventure in the music of waves on sand and laughing 
voices
I peek out, but
I am so timid, vulnerable, fragile--
Too scared of being poked and prodded
	burned and bustled—and so
Retreat into my barricade,
Held hostage by familiarity.

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Requiem of the Rising Sun: April 7

Green point pushes up
Through seas of grey debris and
Brashly cries out, “Hope.”

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Images of the Imperial Palace Iii

Cars rush past the gate
It’s ancient head bowed in 
Proud obscurity

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Images of the Imperial Palace I

Twisted green pine trees
Elegant austerity
Against hard grey roofs

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Requiem of the Rising Sun: March 11

Concrete cracks
Bridges snap
The sea descends
            Ranting and raving
On all our heads
 
She throws cars like pebbles
Smashes lives
Leaves mud and broken families

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Images of the Imperial Palace Ii

Cool mist drapes stillness
On twisted green pines and bowed
Heads of ancient walls

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Insecurity Flashback

All carefully constructed self worth is striped away
As the laughing voices breach the wall and
Tear away my identity. 
I am a gangly, awkward teenager—
	A giant in a fairy world.
I am a depressed, needy cutter,
	Sucking the light out of all conversation.
I am a dumb, useless klutz—
	A mountain troll in Hogwarts
	A blond tripping over her Chihuahua.
I make you laugh in incredulity
Then fade to the outskirts of your awareness.
I am vulnerable until your casual glance.
With no where to run from your half-hearted bullets
I die a little more to myself.

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Neglect

Muffled cry of inconsequence
My heart feels alone again
Cuff off, neglected
Why are you so far from caring?
Sucked into my soul of despair
So full of the slime of self loathing
Always incredulous of love
It’s so much easier to believe it was never there.

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Slighted Apology

My words to you are formulated slowly, excruciatingly, drawn out.
I do not know how to make you understand and so
It all ends up in a jumble
Each word rushing over the next in their haste to escape my clumsy tongue.

In silence I wait
Regretful eyes trained to awkward toes
While you shove it all back down my throat.