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Half Mast Part 1
(PRIOR)
I'm a bunch of interconnected cracks masquerading as a glass half full
trying to hold the weight of my world on shoulders made of porcelain
trying to soothe pains alone by whispering sweet nothings
Can nothings make any gain?
Can a placebo soothe my pain?
Unrelenting positivity and unrestrained imagination
With which I dreamt of the world where that would be enough to secure a future worth fighting for
It is only a mere fleeting daydream as my subconscious is more aware and awake than I am.
(5 YEARS LATER)
I can't entirely dream like that anymore
those concepts slowly become more synonymous with the imagination of a child not yet exposed to the harsh cruelty of humanity
the underbelly of society we hide behind clothes that scream affluence and affinity
The Grieco-Romana masks we hide behind
The intricate lies we perform theatrically for the world to observe
The true life tragedies we perform for no one but the walls and a mirror
The dreams I used to have prior are confined to the daydreams I try to escape to
The nectar of truth and it's bitter taste not of ambrosia but of despair
When fought, the world forces you to subdue
My R.E.M. has been modified by personal experiences and things I have seen.
Things that can dull the sharpest minds and make the brightest learners less keen.
Now in a state of self-preservation, the goal switches from unrestrained happiness and the abdication of horror
Now I want to survive so that I can tell my sad tale once again to my mirror
(10 YEARS LATER)
I can outlive the hate
I can outlast the injustice
I can outfight the cage they made me build around myself
I can't forget what happened
As I see these repeats in a cycle in my young life, then I realize
Positivity, earnestness, and sanguineness
These concepts are dead, wretched from my soul and have been skinned to form the coat currently hung on me.
And truthfully I am ashamed to say they died fast
These are the ideals of a young man with his hopes hung at half mast
This poem is too profound to
This poem is too profound to absorb at a single reading. As soon as I think I understand one of the phrases, another one alters the perception. Most poems appear as finished units. This poem is fascinating in that it seems to be pulling itself together while being read. That is a really excellent approach.
Starward
This comment has made my
This comment has made my entire day brighter. Thank you for that. I'll write more using this approach because of your praise. The interconnectedness of the verses while also being standalone pieces is exactly what I was going for. Glad you liked it.