Useless

Like a bagel with no hole
Like a flag without a pole
Like a singer with no soul
Like a furnace with no coal

Like a gangster with no moll
Like a quest without a goal
Like a bell that cannot toll
Like a super with no bowl

Like a yacht without a keel
Like a car without a wheel
Like a con without the spiel
Like a thief who cannot steal

Like a key that will not turn 
Like a log that will not burn
Like a boss who isn’t stern
Like a skill you cannot learn

It’s a pen that leaves no mark
It’s a dog that cannot bark
It’s a silence in a lark
It’s the padlock at the park

It’s a great big open space 
Like there’s nothing any place 
It’s an ass in a horse race 
It’s the blankness on my face

It’s the words I wish to write 
That refuse to see the light
And I worry that my plight
Is because I’m not that bright

It’s the words unthought, unsaid
It’s a veil that can’t be shed
It’s the blackness in my head
It’s my muse…
I think she’s dead.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2024


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Date: 4/18/2024 8:50:00 PM
Like an apple without a worm; like a swamp without a germ; like a hairstyle without a perm; like a semester without a term. ~ An Old Man who can no longer yearn...
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Terry Flood
Date: 4/28/2024 3:45:00 PM
You could be a poet, GW…. Oh… er….
Date: 4/18/2024 3:43:00 PM
Like this comment, which I write To express my pure delight, You have reached the highest height Of enjoyment on this site!
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Terry Flood
Date: 4/18/2024 4:01:00 PM
Funny thing, Ilene. I wrote this as a kind of icebreaker, a kind of kiss of life for my muse… didn’t expect people to think much of it. Just thought it read okay so I posted it. Pleased you enjoyed.
Date: 4/18/2024 9:15:00 AM
Hello Terry, You have eloquently encapsulated the frustration and despair of creative blockage like a songbird with clipped wings. Each analogy vividly portrays the sense of emptiness and futility accompanying the inability to express oneself. The imagery of a bagel without a hole or a singer without a soul evokes a profound feeling of lacking purpose and direction. -Yet, amidst the desolation, there's a poignant reflection on self-doubt and fear of inadequacy. It's a raw and honest portrayal of the struggle to find inspiration and meaning in the void. - Blessings, Daniel
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Terry Flood
Date: 4/18/2024 4:22:00 PM
Thank you, Daniel. You certainly view some of my writes in more depth than I do. I have to say that your comments often cause me to re-read my poems with ‘new’ eyes, sometimes in some surprise. I rarely write as ‘me’ so these re-reads invite the questions… ‘Who’s talking?’ and ‘Why are they in my head?’ Terry
Date: 4/18/2024 2:09:00 AM
Without doubt, Terry your best poem to date in my book. Ironic considering your subject. Nice one! Cheers - Gary
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Terry Flood
Date: 4/18/2024 4:25:00 PM
Thank you, Gary… I wonder if I’m a poor judge of my own ‘stuff’. As per my reply to Ilene (above), I posted this cos I thought it read okay. Didn’t expect such praise. Truly grateful. Terry
Date: 4/17/2024 9:43:00 PM
I'm sure they go on holiday without warning. I'm sure I saw her yesterday on the beach lol. Getting ready for home now. Tom
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Terry Flood
Date: 4/18/2024 4:27:00 PM
You sure do get about, Tom. Hope you’ve had a great time. Welcome home. Terry
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