Sotto Poet Poet Free verse

Ritual of Ruin

Written: August 18, 2026, for This Week's Poetry Challenge: No Letter E

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I long to find my locus in this vast world,
to curl inward and drift into dusk.
Lost, I miss all that is going on—
sobs scar my nights—now a ritual of ruin.

If I find a nap, I stir to dawn asking why,
all I wish: a warm, bright grin in bloom.
Trust runs thin—too many masks fall off,
nothing stays until truth is shown.

Cold tools bring a sharp sting,
but living cuts past all skin.
To cling or to quit—
both bring pain from within.

To long for a soul,
to watch that soul walk with that girl—
a sharp twist in my gut for what is not,
I clutch my truth, my passion, and try to talk.

My words miss, fall, go still,
what now?
To hold or to drop?
Both hurt, both haunt.
Thus, I sustain;
I hold you within my soul,
but it bursts my spirit—

all for a flash of junction,

a glint, a touch.

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Joe Maverick August 24, 2026 at 6:11 AM May you find the balm of Gilead Sotto' i Srnse a part of your life is glimpsed even If this is a contest piece.)

sara Etgen-Baker August 21, 2026 at 5:10 PM wow, impressive 'non-e' poem. Despite missing 'e words' your poem is emotionally intense. well done, sir.

CayCay Godwin August 21, 2026 at 2:14 PM So emotively charged, your pen was set afire by emotions of the most poetic sort. I felt this in my heart and for some reason, also my gut. Wonderful writing. CayCay

Paula Goldsmith August 20, 2026 at 2:42 PM WOW!!! What a creative/fun write with No "e" words. Love It...  Must have been hard to write. .. "Good Luck" Have a fun day writing away...........

Gershon Wolf August 19, 2026 at 7:51 PM Seems to me that you have actually found the locus - that woman - but she won't 'relocate' with you. Pity.

Jay Narain August 19, 2026 at 11:14 AM Great penning. Hope you win the trophy for poetic excellence.

Alison A Smith August 19, 2026 at 1:43 AM This work paints a dark, sad story. It shows raw pain and a lost spirit. A sharp angst builds as words fail and trust drops. You show a hard truth: to hold on hurts, but to drop it all hurts too. Wanting a tiny spark of a bond brings vast sorrow. It is a profound, moving cry. You craft sounds and rhythm with skill🩶

Andrea Dietrich August 18, 2026 at 11:26 PM Wow. You did the challenge incredibly well. I did a challenge like this a long time ago. It's super hard. By the way. Do people win trophies with these challenges! I don't even know. I only have done one of them. I was thinking maybe Soup would pick a winner each week. But maybe not??