The Greenbrier's Tenacity
I am the root that refuses the drought. I am the vine that denies the clean edge of the saw. You curse my thorns and call me wilderness, but I am simply the will to live, unbound.
My stems are leather, supple and sharp. They climb without asking, weaving through the neat, clean rows, a dense, insistent, complicated love. I am the silent truth in the heart of the manicured yard: What is essential finds a way to endure.
My leaves are heart-shaped, glossy, and deep green, a constant, quiet declaration of presence. I do not wait for the season's approval; I am here, always, holding the space.
The root is the law: thick, stubborn, and vast. It is an anchor against the shifting soil, holding the memory of every rain and every hunger. You may cut me back to the bare earth, but the life force is only driven deeper.
When you finally surrender to my persistence, you will find the small, dark, blue-black cluster of berries. They are the food of the deep winter, a gift of unhurried survival.
I am the Greenbrier, the tough, thorny truth. I teach you that to cling is to conquer, and that the deepest strength is found in the refusal to rest.
I took a walk around the sphere
Just to break them spells
I spoke with mother nature
Then she gave me her words
Words of blessings
Saying; as you want it do it and so be it.
I took a flight to the sky
So I'll be so fly
I spoke with the father sun
Then he gave me his words
Words of inspiration
Saying; shine unapologetically.
Then I took a walk within
Just to speak with me
So I can pick up my spirit from within
The he in me said;
When you conquer your mind
You've opened the world of possibilities
Make sure you put into use your abilities
With your capability you'll reign in the world of possibilities.
I step onto my departure from the dock
to embark on a voyage of the amygdala.
Here lies a treasure trove of motion.
The gangway moves slowly,
no suitcases or fare stubs,
only our passports—
those little books of identity
that grant us entry.
Then we all separate into the chambers
of the left and right atriums.
We check in at the front desk
like a queue of traffic.
Murmurs from fellow passengers drown out
the gratuities,
as our steward paces the hallway
with a duty-free smile.
At last, we reach the bridge,
suspended between the bow and stern.
All my ‘what ifs’ and ‘buts’
rising up and thrown overboard
like drifting flotsam.
All my life, I witnessed many times,
People walked into my life,
Quickly we shared our soul and mind,
Then, for one reason or another
They eventually disappeared.
Some abruptly and left me with wonder,
Some with excuses and left without a trace.
Others just not interested and gone for ever.
It took me almost one year,
To let BB goes without a closure.
The way JC come and leave,
Triggered me emotionally upset.
JN on the other hand,
This was the second time,
She repeatedly made false promises,
Despite I asked her to focus.
Make no mistakes nor errors.
She just did not listen,
Bad things kept on happened,
Led me to make decision,
Our friendship must end.
It was quite ashamed,
The way the relationships came and went.
Vive la différence
couples complement each other
balancing the scales
one will play the jokester
clown and storyteller
the other acts as sidekick
filling in if there are gaps
they juggle and finesse their roles
managing an equilibrium
thus the introvert and extrovert
weave their life in harmony
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Man’s path of least resistance
is described as destiny.
The outcome predetermined,
as a river running to the sea.
playful progeny of my creativity
the product of my muse ~
I gave it my all
AP: 1st place 2025, Honorable Mention 2025
mirror on the wall reflects my pain
it is a witness of my harsh reality
the pain i romanticized about someone
is a fake reflected image of my thoughts
the pain i never wished to tear my flesh
is the real persona i try to hide
A touch is a hug for the lonely,
I thought as I sat on that plane.
The sleeping man beside me,
Would never know that feeling he made.
As his head nodded off,
His elbow extended to mine.
This little little tap
Echoed in a hollow mine.
I savoured such a warm embrace,
From the man that would never know me,
But I couldn’t help but be reminded,
Of all those times I have felt lonely.
The person who calls, calls to the person who hears.
The person who asks, asks the person who listens.
The person who confides, confides in the person to trust.
But the person who boasts, boasts to anyone.
what appeared to be poisonous was merely phosphorus
deeply tattooed into the warrior’s skin from an ambush
in the land of never-ending wars against imagined foes
with a myriad of causes cascading from power and greed
what does a Welshmen have to do in bloody Afghanistan
he used to have a lilt but now the speed impediment
was carved deep into the persona of horror shame and guilt
the snake had promised paradise not a distorted Adam’s apple
the stars had been bright connected by nebula and a waning moon
what an omen for the self-righteous soldier misguided of course
by fame glory and that now elusive war veteran’s pension
dole money merely covered the cost of the shack under the bridge
he attempted to count his blessings tried gratitude and the booze
which gave him some solace because blackouts were better than bombs
and the stink of his urine improved no end when vodka battled with vomit
but the protagonist never rose above the faceless evil of legalised slaughter
I need words to catch this fire,
this burning that eats me alive
like a wolf in my chest,
this storm that turns
my bones to water.
But words give me only
small, broken things:
love, need, want
each one is a tiny box
trying to hold the sea.
Still, I shout,
because this love is a wild horse
kicking to get out,
the sun breaking open inside me,
and words are all I have
to rope this thing
that runs between
my beating heart
and everyone who needs
to know what it means
to burn this bright.
I’m not running from my life
I just need this moment to think
In these moments, in this open space…get a firm grip
So many challenges, so many heartbreaks
The obstacles … the major dips
But I know I must keep moving on
There’s much life to be lived.
Past tears could create new oceans
This awesome power lies with me.
I said no word when silence burned my tongue,
The truth within me sang, though none had heard;
I kept it close, a lark with silver lung,
And fed it not with fear, but with a word
They came with garlands twined in flattery’s thread,
Their hands all sweet with bribes and sugared lies—
But I had seen the stars go cold and dead,
And still believed in light behind the skies.
There is a stillness deeper than retreat,
A quiet strength that does not cry or bend;
It walks alone on frost-enchanted street
And counts no loss except a broken end.
I wore no crown but dared to stand apart,
The winds were sharp, but I kept clean my heart.
Let others feast on praise, on gold, on guile—
I’ll keep my soul, and walk the longer mile.
For truth is flame, and I its willing spark.
I slipped through reality,
In a threadbare dreamscape, stitched with denial.
Just when I thought,
I was over it
It came back to haunt
to show me how I cannot escape if my mind doesn't
They say faded memories don't taunt you.
But when they do
I leave everything behind
Even my conscience to-
Run away to hide
in the corners of my own faded
memories.
Just when it felt like home,
With all the secure moments
It was shattered down witha subtle-
Almost subconscious blow and just like that-
It was taken away from me.
The smell of regret grew more heated
As my despising of this reality grew tangled with my will to live
I decided to not go back
But all I did was escape to my own created reality.
But my reality collided with the ruins of my made up-
Memories.
Now?
There's a war going in my head.
Now, where do I run to?
Specific Types of Persona Poems
Definition | What is Persona in Poetry?
Poems Related to Persona
dramatic monologue, an existence, anima, article, being, body, character, coconscious, collective unconscious, conscience, conscious self, creature, critter, death instinct, ego, ego ideal, ego-id conflict, entelechy, entity, ethical self, exterior, facade, face, foreconscio dramatic monologue, an existence, anima, article, being, body, character, coconscious, collective unconscious, conscience, conscious self, creature, critter, death instinct, ego, ego ideal, ego-id conflict, entelechy, entity, ethical self, exterior, facade, face, foreconscio