Withdrawal Pains

unique ending, I liked it.

Great wording!

Haha, yeah, "the world is his clam" doesn't quite have the same ring - lol!

Amazing description of the young man. I could think of so many ways this could apply. I enjoyed reading it today. 👏✍️. Sara K.

Absolutely! One has a duty. The great leaders are summoned by the divine to leave their mountains, their high-up sanctuaries, come among the people to sever the world in hands-on ways.

The first two lines may be about you, Gershon, but definitely not the last two. It takes imagination defining withdrawal in such an economical way.

Good one, Gershon. I’ve been absent lately because of cellphone trouble, don’t have a computer. I still don’t know yet if I’ll need to take it to get it repaired. Some people semi-cloister or cloister for various reasons. I’ve reached out to some other women who were not interested in a friendship, they were my own age. That’s just the way it is sometimes. So, being a retired cake decorater, I spend good weather days enjoying nature in the backyard. I have my family too. Peace of God to you & yours. :)🕊️

Ahhh the self-cloistering! Life can really be so harsh sometimes, when we want to believe in love and faith but all we receive are bloodstones that leave us bruised. And self-sabotage is the ultimate result of all the darkness that one has seen.. this is just so profound and evocative, dear Gershon, the way you've said so much within just four lines, it blows my mind! His oyster now a clam.. sigh, it broke my heart, as I've been there many times. Very brilliantly crafted! Sending you stars! And light! 🌹⭐✨🌙💫 An absolute FAVE ~

Hello Gershon, it speaks volumes about how withdrawal, whether from a substance, a habit, or the world itself, forces a person to shrink their entire universe down to a hard, impenetrable shell. Short, clever, and deeply poignant, Gershonian! Blessings, Daniel

Shame about the pearl too.

Gershon, your excellent poem explains how humans change using oyster and clam symbols. The artistic distinction between open and closed makes you think. Great job!

A sharp, witty mini-poem: the visual narrowing of the lines mirrors the speaker’s self-cloistering, while the oyster-to-clam turn gives the ending a poignant, memorable sting. The near-rhyme and compact phrasing make its sadness feel especially stark.

how transformative and distinct is this write, gershon...that oyster and clam contrast, in few words, amaze!