The stature of the oak tree
Measures holiest if judged
By natural proximity to sky
But will never reach heaven
And thus by ego of man,
That which extends beyond
But not upon highest
Must be leveled to uplift mankind
Axe to trunk yields the great length
The most capital for human venture
To build the path he may climb
Faith in founded access to sky at last
What we know of uplifting oak
Begs us to recall the sequence
That while man constructs the stair
Too is oak in which he will be buried
For the sacrifice of dear oak
Who was exalted in godly breath, light
Promises that thou who dare tear down
May be buried low, below root, below feet
And when river rise, when mankind pride
In terrain built higher still
It is man who shall sink deeper
As oak, most faithful, did not defy own nature.
THE GLASS EGO
The jaded heart doth stop and start,
posed on a weak pretense.
Assured in self beyond the pale,
a peacock on the fense.
It proffers not romantic end,
and does so on the sly.
Corrupted deep and long ago,
a snake with stalking eyes.
Alone in love or solitude,
it strikes without a thought,
like cornered beast compelled to fight,
it's destiny was wrought.
To run and play another day,
a front with which to hide.
This fated heart's not set apart,
the pain's pushed deep inside.
A wall too high for eagles' eyes
ensures a sightless plight.
A heart so blind the light offends,
oft crashes in the night.
The toughest fight oft fought within
twixt truth and darkest past.
Forged in the fires of fear and hate,
an ego made of glass.
It seems another john doe
dealing with a loss of identity
Going from ten to point zero
l guess a split personality
Im asked wheres mr alter ego
That bloke where now is he?
As now l just feel like a shadow
Of someone that l used to be
That person l nolonger show
People they don't nolonger see
Because him l refuse to show
What was the other side of me
Bits taken from inspired by poems troubled
Soul,shadow of doubt written end of 2020...
I entered life tabula rasa,
a spiritual being, a blank slate,
my life unpainted on a piece of masa
with no ego to sate.
But my ego grew before I knew
how spirit bends when shadows speak;
it found the doubts I clung to, too,
weakening me, unable to spiritually seek.
It shrouded the signals the spirit sends
the mercies placed at every hand~
the rainbow the sunshine bends,
the blue-violet dusk that glorifies the land.
And here’s the truth I long denied:
a tainted picture ego did draw,
and I’m the one who lets its shadow dwell inside
until at my self-esteem it did gnaw.
So now I walk the inner way~
crucifying the ego’s strength and claim.
For God’s guidance I doth pray,
vowing, “Ego, thy shall no longer my spirit defame!”
Although ego’s voice still tries to rise,
I greet it with a pilgrim’s grace
knowing it’s my worst enemy who wears many a disguise.
Now I’m a braver, enlightened soul finding its place.
to whom comes desire, envy, fear and rage
as question asked has the ego unmasked
wayward false self dancing on this world’s stage
who to tame, we’ve been by consciousness tasked
that ego’s useful we do not deny
but perhaps the tail is wagging the dog
the life we’re living seems to be a lie
lost in thought spirals, our mind’s in a fog
in silence as awareness self-aware
we know then we’re more than this body-mind
as a bliss mist with nothing to declare
we are in those moments divine aligned
as both spirit unbound and the ego
we use mind when needed otherwise not
what was boon is now bane so we let go
thus soaring in the sky become self-taught
to whom comes desire, envy, fear and rage
it came to ego but now to no one
transformed as living light we’ve come of age
in the timeless now shining like the sun
Snow came down hard
Harassing the roadside bar
Taking one more shot
Reminding himself, 'he was hot'
John proceeded to the lavatory
Without any worry
Mirror, he did reflect
No fear of the word 'reject'
Ventured into the night
Seeking a romantic sight
Reality stated hurtful fight
"Goodbye, my dear knight
Our relationship is dead,"
Wearing the pearls he bought, she said
Returning to the watering hole
Shivering and cold
Shocking we were told
Seductress commanded the stage
Half anyone's age
Protected inside a cage
Belting out a tune
Loving warmth came back soon
After being swooned
Patrons did say
Heating bill, owner electronically paid
When the tempting tease was done
She approached the admirer, looking for fun
As for the haunting past outside
Confirming someone had lied
And died
"Those pearls fit you right"
Stranger mentioned, eyes bright
"They are a little tight,"
Informed the songbird, preparing for a deathly fight
Confirming fan, a nut
She kicked them in the butt
Finding a cell
Lonely, I must tell
Self ego ~ feeling pride in one's superiority to others ~ is a wall. You can make it littler or bigger or even zero.
Just the other day, a man was stoned to death for being a Christian Gay
Another was beaten, a few breaths shy of death, for wearing a MAGA hat.
Devils sashay bloody streets- eating innocents- pepper-spraying God.
We've lost humanity and hobbled dialogue and civility.
I think it's time to part ways, reflect, and pray.
That this blaze eventually gives way to more gentle embers.
Pray that someday we can chain greed and lasso ego.
Refresh the loving heart and come back wholly, together
Mirror, mirror on the wall
in front of you I stand tall,
evergreen with virgin air,
confident without a care.
In prime of life and freshness,
in state of juvenescence.
I look at my reflection,
my body such perfection.
I'm a mirror in the hall,
tall as hung upon this wall,
show only what's true and fair
self-importance I don't share.
With this ego you possess
I don't see your youthfulness,
disrobing your pretension
reveals your true reflection.
A flashy robe doth ego wear
to hide its bumps and bruises
camouflage, distracts discerners
from its many ruses
A child realizes what’s beneath
is what to stay away from
Though we adults can never peel
an onion's layer of mystery
Thus, in the end, the final blow
when before the Lord, it must confess
it should have worn
~ a simple dress
July 28, 2026
Disrobing ego Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Unseeking Seeker
I have many questions for Him,
How will I know if I am good?
I know when I have been bad
And yet I am still granted soft wishes
Like laughs with lovers
And goosebumps from songs
The present remains
When I think I've been good,
So how will I know?
Perhaps begging the question is the answer itself
That is what I will pray for.
We have built the loom of velvet and of nerve,
wove thick silk over the glaring, naked Sun.
Then drowned the blinding beam we couldn't serve,
in this sweet, narcotic bliss: we have won.
We took the brilliant, cold, dissecting mind,
fused it to gut-rot, raw, animal lust -
two magnets locked, a Frankenstein refined,
embodied in a cage of breathing dust.
And in this meat-rigged, gloriously cursed frame,
we grope for truth like blind men feeling fire.
Adorning every scar with an ornate name,
enslaved by the wary design of desire.
Now rip the stitches. Tear the sacred shroud.
Unlace the golden corsets of the mind.
Shed the thick, perfumed armor of the proud,
and leave the clever, grasping self behind.
Peel back the skin, the ego, and the pride -
let the raw, incandescent engine flare.
There is no "you" or "I" to hide inside,
only the blinding light, stripped entirely bare.
To disrobe the lion’s ego,
would be to destroy a charismatic higher light
dethrone a regal rightous dominance
denounce a fierce protective energy
with pride of a warrior, never repudiate royalty
forswear fealty is to renounce a king of truth
whilst in his den, uncloaked he and his lioness
of regal virtue, love eternal and loyalty
when you engage with ultimate hierarchy,
roars of authority warn and ward risk taking rivals
with gifted instincts, a supreme stubborn strength
and a keen bond and respect for his own
an affectionate and generous warmth
confident yet cautious in their garden of Eden
defeatist disrobes the ego, only when defeated
deep within the soul, we yearn for substance
a spiritual substance sustaining us
the creature sustains as messenger
deeper significance beyond physical form
depicting qualities from the universe
butterflies symbolize transformation,
the turtle patience, the elephant a mighty sooth,
the lion links divine wisdom and perceives truth
Ruth: It’s all my fault— my lost hat! How can you forgive me that!
Buddy: Quite an ego you have, miss, taking blame for stealing bliss!
Ruth: I’m contrite! Wasn’t right! My pillow is drenched every night!
Buddy: You make me ashamed, my dear, I chose to chase it— you hear?
Ruth: I wish you had let it go, but there was no way to know.
Buddy: My gallantry would you excuse, had I not worn my shoes?
Ruth: But why’d God take you away, ‘stead of by my side to stay!
Buddy: In Him there is only Light— He’s sad, too, to see our plight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In tribute , of course, to Fried Green Tomatoes
For the “Disrobing Ego” poetrysoup contest :)
Lord,
help me shed this ego-atrophy.
Like a second skin I'm desperate to peel away.
Undoubtedly knowing this is the final fray.
Don't leave me, I beg you. Lord
Please don't give up on me yet.
I've made repetitive decisions,
stumbling once more in this drug addicted trap.
I see the line you drew in the sand.
While the wall of the world is built sky high.
I'm teetering on the edge.
I pray you don't send me Lord, right over the ledge.
So many unfinished poems, linger behind my lips.
You saved me in my darkest nights, trapped in the abyss.
You found me when I lost myself,
right in the nick of time.
Humbly asking you My Savior
just one more day.
Sub Categories
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.