Aly Bahr Poet Rhyme

To Drown Or Sail Away

Thoughts drifting
   through my mind
Memories
   that make me blind
To what I have
   in life today
They pull me in
   and I fade away

Back to a time
   that has long past
I retreat to the child
   who's future seemed cast
By others actions
   unable to control
The events that damaged
   an innocent soul

I cringe at the memories
   in anguished pain
As i cringed from the dreadful 
   violence in vain
Once more in helplessness
   I begin to drown
And I feel my soul
   on the road to breakdown

I struggle to swim
   out of this well
Of recollections
   of a living hell
I make myself think
   of the good times instead
Flush pointless flashbacks
   out of my head

All so long ago
   so far in the past
I climb into my boat
   and cling to the mast
The mast is my strength
   the boat is today
From the sea of history
   I'm sailing away

As it made me who I am
   of my past I'm accepting
Having lived compassionately
   good future I'm expecting
I chose not to stay a victim
   but an honest winner
And I forgive all the wrongs
   as I too am a sinner

But I made my own way
   and I made my own choices
Heard plenty of advice
   from too many voices
So I took the gemstones
   from amongst it all
Made them mine 
   and stood up tall

The past may come back
   at times to bite me
I know just to squash it
   like a pesky little flea
Rub salve on the wound
   and walk away
And live in the now
   here for today

Determined to be grateful
   for the times I've burnt
Each bad experience
   is a new lesson learnt
Goodness and wrongness
   all lead me to be
A person who is strong
   empathetic and free

You may hurt my temple
   but not my belief
This simple truth
   is such sweet relief
No need to struggle
   in that sticky marsh
The awful muck
   that makes my heart harsh

Put up the sail 
   of this boat of mine
And sail away
   my soul sublime

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the barefoot bard February 8, 2026 at 11:24 PM the barefoot bard February 8, 2026 at 11:28 PM Hi Ali Great stuff. I've been using uo lots time on soup, gardening,music as usual. Decided it was time to read someone else's poetry instead of focusing on my own Have posted over ten new ones in the last week best wishes douglas