The sharpest words are often words unspoken –
Hurt bestowed by a double bind
—Bruised by silence.
Wanton desire to be a double entendre –
A quiet imprisoned reprieve
—An empathetic, bound choice.
My vote has been cast in restraint –
In the still of the love I carry
—Averting the cost of my voice.
TIES THAT BIND
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
German
descendant
am I
ties
bind me
to
'Deutschland'
ethereal
threads
They say I'm a witch, but when I told them I have a spell to make them write poetry, they shout "Free the witch!"
But when I say I'm a writer, they want to hurt me. As soon as I mention my spell to make words touch hearts, they say "Free the writer!"
To me, it doesn't matter if you're for me or against me.
I choose to write. Poetry is my passion.
With poetry, I find my voice and my identity.
I discovered poetry when I was searching for what I'm good at.
If you want to set me free or keep me bound, I'll keep writing. My words will touch hearts, and that's all that matters.
Free the writer, or bind the writer tight,
I'll write my poems, day and night.
My words will shine, my voice will be heard,
Free or bound, my poetry's my word!
the years of clutter sum total
feel much like a noose around my neck
the memories both good and bad
exhausting in their tonnage
trinkets on shelves
reminders in drawers
paramount to the anchor
out to hold me back
the sea beckons all around me
but i’m fettered in a stalemate
hovering when i should be sailing
how i envy the minimalist
who has mastered the art
of letting go ~
AP: 1st place 2025, 2nd place 2025
Then you thought of giving up;
Breathing and living, you craved no more.
But when the angel arrived to lead you to everlasting peace,
You thought of me - how I would spend nights blaming myself
For not seeing all the signs,
How I would clutch your clothes in my arms,
Bringing it up to my nose to take a sniff.
You thought of how I would torture myself,
Asking 'What if?'
And then, right there, you told the angel, 'Please....'
You said, 'A soul would weep if I leave'.
Stepping in water, displacing the pool.
Walking prudently in body and mind.
For there is no room for a squatter,
forcing spillage over water’s bind
Secure a space for your form,
sitting gingerly at witness.
One cannot see past the water's norm.
Hence be one within it.
I was good to u
But to you I was only good enough to be used
I cared for you deeply
I told myself I had forgive u if u ever cheated
I told myself I had run after u even if u got married , but twas all a lie
I will always have a soft spot for you but u have stabbed me in the back
U wrecked me bad
It's time to move on
I hear the alarm bells
Thinking of you is pain
Love is vain
I guess I will be all alone on my deathbed
Having lost all trust
She betrayed him with her lies but he decided not
to tell
He'd always seen it in her eyes, but couldn't break
her subtle spell
He was hypnotized by thoughts of love that kept him
still & in a trance
She lived in his mind consuming thoughts so he never
really had a chance
They danced all night into the morning indulging in more
than you'd imagine
Imagine two souls stuck together addicted to each other
like a habit
As fate would have it, they were crossed in the stars so it
was never meant to be
She bound him to her with wicked acts & decided to never
let him free
This is a cautionary tale of ties that bind on a deeper level
than vows & rings
Be careful of whom you attach cords for they're hard to break
nothing like thread or silly string
(untitled blockprint block, 2023)
Undoing The Ties That Bind
Moments tasted within
the gaps
between moments
undo the ties that bind.
Bit by bit we settle and rest
setting off little avalanches
of undoing
unraveling the links
of a mind-chain
it has taken an eternity to forge.
(first published in my 6th book of poem, OUT OF TIME OUT OF MIND, 2022)
In the midst of a raging storm dance,
A man of strength takes up his stance,
Against the storm that seeks to tend,
The ties that bind, he won't rescind.
His weary eyes survey the bed,
Where his little fragile boy lay,
A little fighter, heart so bold,
Seeking comfort as life unfolds.
Father's gaze meets son's own light,
Their spirit connected so tight,
In a moment of silence, they find peace,
Laughter and songs, their emotions release.
The boy, fragile, yet full of grace,
Beams with a smile upon his face,
Knowing his time is drawing near,
He holds the vision, crystal clear.
"Heaven awaits," the boy proclaims,
"Together still, in timeless frames.
I'll be your guide, your angel true,
Watching over, forever new."
With heavy heart, the father weeps,
A love so deep, eternally keeps,
Their bond alive, though world's apart,
He carries on, with broken heart.
Through storms and trials, he'll endure,
His little boy's love ever pure,
A whispered serenade, their strong connection,
In cherished memories, they both belong.
zip ties what a wondrous thing
to think how much closer they bring
that joyful noise gleeful clicks
heard as you with your hands affix
swift to use they are a cinch
till things can't move a single inch
organizing so much shorter
all's well now all's in order
----------
The Zip, an American haiku form with 15 syllables in two lines of 7 or 8, and a caesura on each line in the form of an extra space. There is no requirement for rhyming, it just seemed appropriate here...
As we taste the ink seasoned by those with a poetic mind
We nod in good gesture to those who wrote
Great minds think alike, yet none are two-of-a-kind
Wonderful poets are so easy to find
Here, there and everywhere, we note
As we taste the ink seasoned by those with a poetic mind
Shakespearian Guild- "THOU ART AS FAT AS BUTTER" -refined
Words never so true, in quote
Great minds think alike, yet none are two-of-a-kind
Some poetry should never be left behind
Twirling our thoughts like a feather- afloat
As we taste the ink seasoned by those with a poetic mind
Poetically speaking, "THOU ARTS WE BIND"
"FAT AS BUTTER" these words we bloat
Great minds think alike, yet none are two-of-a kind
Remember these words that in BOLD I've outlined
"THOU ART AS FAT AS BUTTER" -rewind
As we taste the ink seasoned by those with a poetic mind
Great minds think alike, yet none are two-of-a-kind
Third-Person Villanelle Poetry Contest
Sponsor: L Milton Hankins
11/7/2022
Hopelessly mesmerized by your exquisite allure,
There was no verse to express this hypnotic trance.
Trapped in bright orbs of speckled green fire,
I became an instant captive to your fixed gaze.
Your lethal glance stabbed my pulsating heart;
As I was left gasping for breath, body trembling.
With one sultry, seductive flutter of thick lash,
The last seeds of fruitless defiance had expired.
What could possibly break this addictive, narcotic spell?
And who would be foolhardy enough to wish rehabilitation?
Mighty torrents of cascading and turbulent desire,
Washed me forever down a deep, unmeasured stream.
Oh, what a prophesized, delectable death that awaited;
As I readily and blissfully courted my final termination.
I was drowning in a whirlpool of primative passion,
Eternally caught looking into the eyes that bind.
together we bind
a Universal moment
of pure acceptance
We can't all be the same
Diplomacy fails us
Hunt us down
Cage us
Berate us endlessly;
It cannot be, It cannot be, it cannot be!
Impose, demand, declare
Where are the ultimatums?
You are the chain that binds
The world that judges
The everyone that rejects
We can't be completely free from you,
Is that why you shake us?
We we will always need you,
Is that why you reek havoc?
We know even when you are no longer giving us anything, you will always be relevant;
Is that why you terrorise us?
You are not even on the ground,
Yet you are already thinking for us
Do you actually listen?
Are you actually trying to understand?
You want to protect
You want to shield
In doing so you limit
You guide
You aren't supposed to be doing the walking
You show us
You aren't supposed to be the show
Let us bear it on our own
The cross we deliberately bare
Respect, respect, respect
Is supposed to go both ways
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Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.