Graveless Poems | Examples


List of Member Poems

The Clown

My condescending friends but smiled in sympathy and shame,
That I had not selected someone slightly prettier;
They didn’t know I hoped I’d trade my name
For something somewhere back inside of her.

Around her I was awkward, quiet, cold,
Sweet agonies like a grey and graveless ghost, 
Or else too loud, impressing her with manly noise,
That was but adolescent, clumsy bold

Bravado that at best but bores, annoys,
And at its worst tells people you’re unsure 
Of love and life, and of yourself the most.  
And so I struggled silly through the pure

I harried friends to make them see her charm—
They changed the subject with their half-amused alarm.

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.

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