The Budding Soul

The shadows from his younger days shake his resolve, 
and make a mockery of time 'til time be lost 
to moments of bewilderment, ne'er to evolve, 
they bounce and bluster errantly, much to his cost. 

Shades and silences, outbursts of ungoverned rage, 
cruelty breeds rancor, e'en in the meek at heart, 
kept and restricted, like a creature in a cage, 
no literature for him, gentility or art. 

Dissimulation, trickery and guile he plies 
as tools to engineer self-preservation, 
he tells quaint versions of the truth, and bald-faced lies, 
so to avoid the whip and recrimination. 

Childhood is the birthplace of hope and mirth
not fear and perturbation for the budding soul, 
a testament to love where supplicants may dwell; 

not tyranny or willfulness, a wayward goal. 
Shun darkness, disillusionment from God's green earth, 
cast demons, evil thinkers to the depths of hell!    

Last Modified: January 09, 2016 at 07:20 pm
© bickerstaffe - all rights reserved 

Author Notes


...the first three verses:      abab rhyming
   the next two together:   abcbac rhyming
   a form used frequently by W.H. Auden

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016



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Date: 1/10/2016 8:36:00 AM
great poem
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Keith Bickerstaffe
Date: 1/10/2016 10:06:00 AM
Many thanks! Best wishes, Keith
Date: 1/10/2016 6:20:00 AM
excellent write Keith
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Keith Bickerstaffe
Date: 1/10/2016 6:34:00 AM
Many thanks!
Date: 1/10/2016 12:19:00 AM
love the different forms
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Keith Bickerstaffe
Date: 1/10/2016 5:35:00 AM
Thanks so much Etienne! Best wishes, Keith
Date: 1/9/2016 7:09:00 PM
Sometimes I am at a loss for words, then again thats cause you took them all! Love the forms and the prose here! Sent you a soup mail! Cheers.
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Keith Bickerstaffe
Date: 1/9/2016 7:42:00 PM
Thanks Art! I got your Soup mail and responded... let me know what I must do. Keith
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