Why Bother

The clock chastises me,
as painted petals bloom brilliance
in illuminated wonder that attempts 
escape from the hidden crevices
deep within my beleaguered mind.

The beauty I seek is but an allusive dream,
     flowing rags of worthless chattel
          that fill me with words, heavy, like stone,
               my rhymes but pointless emotional prattle.

Yet, still my need must pursue that dream 
     to create another verse so sublime as to define
          me as me in a world filled with poetic doppelgangers
               and, so, I write just one more sad, lonely line.

"Extant nectared incense she lit, burning inside, slow but alone,
Arrogant me, let her leave, as here I sit, awaiting the unknown."

Clever, perhaps, but are my words,
like the melancholy song of the lonely Lune,
beautiful?  
Geez, or should I say jeez, no Cuneiform here,
shall I try once more...

"crystalline sparkles
achromatic winter jewels
spring paints with colors"

...to bring out in me that which,
through these many years of seeing
my world ravaged with emotional upheaval,
still, in its turn, allowing me to experience
love and enchantment from eyes
that held me in the warmest embrace.

"I see the storm as rage engulfs those lovely eyes,
the blue intrepid sea of passion's lost release.
Inside, the tears of torment flow to sooth the lies,
yet, pain remains in every moment's wish for peace.

As burning anger seethes inside of you
the path it seeks obscures your point of view,
and leaves the ragged scars of bitter love
left blurred like mist in sodden clouds above.

Emotional, these moments steal your gentle heart
and eat in to the darkened void that once was you,
but misplaced hate can not keep you and I apart,
when, with my shroud of love, your heart I will eschew.

I hope you'll see just how I feel for you,
for you are why I do these things I do."
Crap! Total crap I read! and I chuckle as I re-read it. In a single sonnet, iambic hexameter and iambic pentameter, the Bard must be turning in his grave; I guess I'll have to try another day.
08/15/2018
Copyright © | Year Posted 2018

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Robinson Jr. Avatar
September 26, 2018 at 10:29 AM
Beautiful ink-splashed poem, James! Love the mosaic prose. Keep on being muse bothersome, bruh. Exceptional poetry as expressed in elevated rumination. May love light your path in life always.
Inman Avatar
September 26, 2018 at 8:20 PM
What a great comment Freddie, thank you.
Dutta Avatar
September 23, 2018 at 12:41 PM
You dealt with varied forms mingled. So long poem yet it flows free at ease and that's the beauty.
Inman Avatar
September 24, 2018 at 1:01 AM
Thank you Anisha. I appreciate your comment.
Dietrich Avatar
September 19, 2018 at 6:00 PM
gosh, you just went from one form to another. WEll, I count at least three different forms and a variety of patterns. Then the ending etheree was such a fun ending!! I think you overthink things, Ralph!! Just be yourself. When you write from the heart, your voice is so beautiful. And when you write with humor, I love that too.
Inman Avatar
September 19, 2018 at 6:37 PM
Hi Andrea, it's been a while. Thanks for visiting. I have no time since I left Disney. I spend hours a day on the road. Thank you for your beautiful comment. I don't remember how many forms I used, Overall was Free Verse, two Quatrain verses, a couplet, a Sonnet, a Haiku and an Etheree. I think that was all
Rose  Avatar
September 11, 2018 at 11:16 AM
Ah, each bard writes his own way, I enjoyed your poem dear James, Have a good one.
Inman Avatar
September 11, 2018 at 9:44 PM
Oh, what truth you speak. Thank you, and to you I wish the sparkle of a million fire flies, or as I grew up calling them lightning bugs.
Beckman  Avatar
September 10, 2018 at 8:48 PM
James, I love your way of shaping the images within your poem! Nice job!
Inman Avatar
September 11, 2018 at 9:35 AM
Hi Nancy, thank you for your time and the lovely comment.
Salehi Avatar
August 28, 2018 at 2:36 AM
There's nothing as exciting as a comeback seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance.
Salehi Avatar
August 29, 2018 at 2:37 AM
You bet...
Inman Avatar
August 28, 2018 at 7:03 AM
Love the comment Pashang, thanks.
Wigley Avatar
August 22, 2018 at 10:40 PM
Enjoyed watching you romance your words, James, and the form didn't matter. A good piece. regards, Viv
Inman Avatar
August 23, 2018 at 7:46 AM
Morning, or perhaps around mid-day for you Viv. Always a pleasure when you visit. I think one of the things that keeps us writing is because we are always searching for the perfect combination of words. Perhaps some day I'll find it and I'll stop writing. I'm not getting my hopes up.
Breidenthal Avatar
August 17, 2018 at 5:39 AM
Such an intriguing and excellent poem!! -JWE
Inman Avatar
August 17, 2018 at 8:52 AM
Hi JW, thanks for the visit. I guess my senility is beginning to show, couldn't remember which form I was using. ; )
Breidenthal Avatar
August 16, 2018 at 2:17 AM
A poem within a poem...James...you're brilliant. I don't know if you quite see it. Beautiful, introspective composition right here. I enjoyed this one immensely and I am adding it to my list of favorites. The point is that you tried. And we are able to muster such great things from our pens from simply trying. Sometimes we are pleasantly surprised. Sometimes our voices in our mind deafen what another sees as sheer beauty. Love your work! Always, Laura
Breidenthal Avatar
August 16, 2018 at 2:06 PM
As an aside myself, I did like the "geez" "jeez" moment. You have a way of being witty, and real. Humanizing poetry. The balance between finding our own voice in poetry while also being able to produce the words needed without that voice saying it's all rubbish. It is definitely authentic and true to who you are and the brilliance will show to others whether you see it yourself or not <3 ~Laura
Breidenthal Avatar
August 16, 2018 at 1:59 PM
You are immensely thoughtful in your work and it really shows. Love the clever wordplay! Thank you for sharing your process with me. You truly are a brilliant poet. <3 ~Laura
Inman Avatar
August 16, 2018 at 9:09 AM
As an aside: My best poems are ones I re-read and I get nervous about, because I have to wonder if I have unconsciously plagiarized someone that I have read (I would NEVER knowingly do that), because I know, deep down inside, that my mind is incapable of creating such beauty.
Inman Avatar
August 16, 2018 at 9:08 AM
You are too kind Laura. Originally meant as a parody on my attempts to write poems. I've filled it with so much unnecessary complexity and poetic form, such as the poems within poems, but also more subtle use of word play, for example, the use of "allusive" as apposed to "elusive" which is what most people would expect in this context or the obscure sarcasm of how spelling can change the meaning of a line, such as in the use of "Geez" (a dying language used almost strictly in religious context in Ethiopa, somewhat similar to Latin in Catholicism) when I meant "jeez" to invoke exasperation, and now, I for some reason feel the need to explain this to one of the most expressive poets on this sight, Geez, oh, err, jeez.
Blown Avatar
August 15, 2018 at 11:27 PM
"...painted petals bloom brilliance... she lit...inside...awaiting the unknown..." no-one can blame you for getting emotional at the end : )
Inman Avatar
August 15, 2018 at 11:38 PM
Thanks for visiting SB.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace