Home » Poems » David Kavanagh » The Reclusive Verses

The Reclusive Verses

Wanting to shrug off this shell, break loose from me Silence that damn hermit, hiccuping under his tree Trapped inside too long, dormancy dreams to wake Disgorging bubbly lava, fills in soporific landscapes Longing to escape soft tissue, cast off mortal bones Break shackles of mundanity, rid life’s infernal drone Out there lies all answers, beyond the hermits void His space mostly perfect, til our Big Bang destroyed Go forth and multiply, primal stars hypernova like hell Filling a cosmos with elements, configuring him as well Hold your tongue hermit, stop humming about in bliss Stay quiet down that hole, cease fumbling at the abyss Deeper and deeper, below where basements depress Sits an altar of incremental tables, poets go to confess Forget truths algorithm, they’ll fool any polygraph test And the hermit lies all day long, he meditates for a rest Breathe in, breathe out, forget about terminal breaths Don’t underestimate the ether, chants a monk in Tibet Fill your mind with mindfulness, peace will set you free Watch them hiccups abate now, our hermit’s all at sea February 6th 2023 / 2022 Poetry Marathon Qualifiers' FINAL Placement Poetry Contest / Sponsor: Mark Toney

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.

Please Login to post a comment

Di11y Da11y

Date: 9/3/2023 3:37:00 AM

Wow I love this! I have a bit of a brain ache today so can't possibly match the amazing comments this has received but get the vibe and love the resonance of understanding that is extremely rare for the existential angst (great expression from the comments) declarations that I feel plagued with. Thanks for sharing :)

David Kavanagh
Date: 9/3/2023 4:37:00 AM

I thought you might see something in here Dilly, (and you did) it’s why I pointed it your way, brain ache or not your comment says more than enough, to do this one justice, I was delighted how well it was received by the soup community at large, without compromising my non conformist ways, cheers David

Susan Ashley

Date: 3/10/2023 7:34:00 AM

Dear David, it's my great pleasure to arrive at this trophy winning masterwork and offer you my heartiest congratulations for your excellent final placement in Mark's Marathon contest and for POTD honors (a worthy and well-deserved choice!) I'm thrilled to partake of this soulful poem, brimming with angsty, intriguing imagery, lush rhymes and expressive, thought provoking verses. It is a grand honor to share the podium with you, David, you are a wonderfully talented poet. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

David Kavanagh
Date: 3/10/2023 8:37:00 AM

Heya Susan, thank you for such an uplifting comment and assessment of my poem, it’s one of my personal favourites, and gave me great pleasure writing it, I sincerely congratulate you on a most deserving 1st place in the marathon, cheers David

Lin Lane

Date: 3/5/2023 10:50:00 AM

I love seeing your name on the Marathon list, David.

David Kavanagh
Date: 3/5/2023 10:55:00 AM

Heya Lin, I fell over and didn’t finish every stage, still I’m delighted you lapped me a few times, and left me some water to drink lol, cheers David

Mark Toney

Date: 3/4/2023 1:37:00 PM

David, after 267 days, 27 contests, and 945 submitted poems, we've reached the finish line of my 2022 Poetry Marathon Contest. Congratulations on placing 20th overall in the marathon! Thank you so much for contributing to the success of the contest. There is no provision to denote this in the Standard Contest other than Honorable Mention. The poems of the 28 qualifiers can be accessed from my current "Finish Line" blog post, along with the top 15 placements and their overall stats. Write on!

David Kavanagh
Date: 3/4/2023 2:32:00 PM

Thanks Mark, I appreciate your honourable mention, and acknowledge proviso, an enjoyable marathon nonetheless, cheers David

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 7/3/2022 11:35:00 AM

DEEP poetry and so well expressed. Big congrats for your trophy win here.

David Kavanagh
Date: 7/3/2022 12:40:00 PM

Thank you Andrea, this is one of my own personal favourites, so was even more delighted to get a trophy with it, cheers David

Jenna Logan

Date: 6/26/2022 2:11:00 PM

Congratulations on your top win, dear David. I'm proud of your write. I'd like to shrug off the world about now.

Jenna Logan
Date: 6/28/2022 4:16:00 AM

Thank you. ;)

David Kavanagh
Date: 6/26/2022 2:32:00 PM

Great comment Jenna, this world can indeed weigh heavy on us at times, but then I try remind myself that it was always this way throughout history, (We Didn't Start the Fire) by Billy Joel probably sums it up, your a fighter Jenna, and that will always stand for you going forward, cheers David

Paula Goldsmith

Date: 6/26/2022 8:02:00 AM

Back with Congratulations on this new win. A creative rhyme story/write. Have a great/blessed day...............

David Kavanagh
Date: 6/26/2022 8:21:00 AM

You remembered this one Paula which is great, I resurrected it from my back catalogue, to try get into the race, I’m delighted with the response, cheers David

John Watt

Date: 6/25/2022 10:34:00 PM

Very intelligent writing, David. So thought-provoking and creative. You'd be an interesting guy to crack open a beer with. Congratulations on your new trophy and good luck with those hiccups ~ John

David Kavanagh
Date: 6/26/2022 4:45:00 AM

Thank you John, hiccups where indeed the bane of my meditation attempts, yeah I’d certainly have a beer with you or anyone with an open mind, who cares to peck my brains without running for a straight jacket to put me in, your thoughts on my poem are indeed a fine endorsement, and I’m delighted to get a stage win in the marathon, cheers David

Mark Toney

Date: 6/25/2022 4:17:00 PM

"The reclusive verses" a/k/a "The hermit verses." David, from my perspective this is an excellent description of existential angst, the solution to which is your response to Jenna below: "chill out with a book and a beer." Love it! Congratulations on your first-place finish on Mile 4 of my 2022 Poetry Marathon Contest. Mile 5 has already started!

David Kavanagh
Date: 6/26/2022 4:34:00 AM

Thank you Mark, I’m totally delighted with the win in mile 4 of your marathon, your existential angst comment, is definitely another way of interpreting this one, we really do have to find whatever personally works for us to chill out, meditation I find impossible, yep it’s a beer and a book for me, cheers David

James Peranteau

Date: 8/29/2021 4:34:00 PM

i wuz in the neighborhood and decided to reread your intellect and i am inclined to iterate Mr. Wolf's exciaim dear poet*sm...i enjoyed the bombastic approach to delineating the ascetic pneuma...i at times am he, yet, mine wonder causes mine wander...have a great one, congrats....much love, james

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/30/2021 12:49:00 AM

A bombastic poetic approach, I could go along with that James, especially when in soliloquy with oneself, things do get a little heated, I am all the time he, at my altar of incremental tables, cheers David

Gershon Wolf

Date: 8/21/2021 7:13:00 PM

Whew! I'm out of breath from this one, David. Belated congrats on POTD, Gershon

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/22/2021 12:58:00 AM

Thank you Gershon, chasing after the hermits high is hard work indeed, who would’ve guessed, cheers David

James Peranteau

Date: 8/21/2021 4:53:00 AM

Your fans have spoken! Much love, james

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/21/2021 5:00:00 AM

Thank you James for looking in with good vibes, Cheers David

Jennifer Proxenos

Date: 8/20/2021 12:29:00 PM

Congratulations David on POTD for this epic write - an honor bestowed on you that was certainly well deserved. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/20/2021 1:09:00 PM

Thank you Jennifer, all down to my inability to meditate, I have the attention span of a goldfish, this one just kept going on its own, was delighted it got potd, cheers David

Krish Radhakrishna

Date: 8/19/2021 2:00:00 PM

Congrats on POTD! very good write! breaking away from the shell! Nirvana!

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 2:35:00 PM

If only I could Krish, the only Nirvana I can reach is the band, which I love, meditation is way out of my league, I get lost just thinking about it, lol, cheers David

Jennifer Fenn

Date: 8/19/2021 1:36:00 PM

Wow! Sounds like a wish for freedom. Congrats on POTD!

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 2:29:00 PM

Heya Jennifer, freedom has so many forms, you could well be right, I have definitely subconsciously embedded many layers into this one, thank you so much for looking in, cheers David

Christuraj Alex

Date: 8/19/2021 12:24:00 PM

Great Mystical Write. Congratulations!

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 12:31:00 PM

Thank you Alex, glad you enjoyed, cheers David

Heidi Sands

Date: 8/19/2021 10:59:00 AM

Congratulations for this great POTD :)

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 11:10:00 AM

Thank you Heidi I’m delighted you called in, hope you are keeping well, cheers David

Mark Koplin

Date: 8/19/2021 10:43:00 AM

Congratulations on potd brother!

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 10:46:00 AM

Thanks Mark, I appreciate you stopping in, cheers David

Paula Goldsmith

Date: 8/19/2021 10:26:00 AM

Congratulations on your p.o.t.d. win. A creative rhyme story/write. Love this line, "Hold your tongue hermit, stop humming about in bliss" Many do not know how to hold their tongue. Have a blessed day...........

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 10:43:00 AM

I stand accused Paula, I actually don’t know where that line came from, was on a roll so kept penning, perhaps my subconscious is telling me to calm down, cheers David

Beryl Edmonds

Date: 8/19/2021 10:16:00 AM

A splendid write David, congratulations on poem of the day… Belle

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 10:40:00 AM

Thank you so much for looking in Belle, an enjoyable write, writing off my meditation skills, cheers David

Constance La France

Date: 8/19/2021 7:12:00 AM

David, wonderful writing and congratulations on a deserving POEM OF THE DAY enjoy the honor ~Constance

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 8:28:00 AM

Thank you Constance, I really appreciate the honor, as well as you stopping by with congrats, I’m delighted with this poem, I found cathartic to write, cheers David

Maureen Mcgreavy

Date: 8/19/2021 6:26:00 AM

Stilling the mind an act I have not mastered yet. So many hiccups. Fantastic piece, more depth achieved with every read. Lovely to see your talent highlighted in POTD, congratulations! Have a fabulous day! xomo

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 7:10:00 AM

Aw shucks Super Mo thank you, high praise indeed, I’ve all but given up on meditation, too much interference from the background radiation in the void, I’m delighted you enjoyed reading my poem and found some depth, cheers David

Unseeking Seeker

Date: 8/19/2021 5:14:00 AM

Congrats on POTD, David! If we cannot meditate, let’s celebrate! It’s the same thing actually :)

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 9:21:00 AM

Be silent hermit! your rubbing it in now, I’m definitely jealous lol.

Unseeking Seeker
Date: 8/19/2021 7:18:00 AM

Melding with the sunset, exuberance without cause … thought rested stillness, vibrant nonchalance

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 5:23:00 AM

Thank you seeker, I appreciate you stopping by, I definitely cannot meditate, and am probably a bit jealous of those who can, though you probably wouldn’t have guessed, from this piece, cheers David

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 8/19/2021 1:32:00 AM

- Congratulations on your p.o.t.d. ... a thought-provoking writing, David - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/19/2021 2:08:00 AM

Thank you Anne Lise, for breaking the good news, today, it’s indeed an honour to get potd, I thoroughly enjoyed writing this poem, mostly about my inability to meditate, due to the random chaos of life, even more problematic in mundanity, cheers David

Sotto Poet

Date: 8/17/2021 4:45:00 PM

Davis, your poem is fantastic. While you do an excellent job with powerful images and fantastic symbolism, the reader may appreciate it more if he delves into its details. Freedom from limits in body and mind, no matter how awful meditation is, allows negative energy to be evacuated to free of the demands of reality. We are used to focusing on the present moment, yet reality extends beyond that.

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/18/2021 12:05:00 AM

Thank you Lasaad, this one is about most peoples inability to meditate properly (I’m one of them) hence the hiccuping and distractions, some minds are too fixated on multimedia lies, and spin, with myself it’s the urge to break free of human constraints, not into the void but into the reality of creation itself, cheers David