It is for me, Doc. Love is a truly wonderful thing, and a driving force behind humans and animals alike. Unfortunately, society is constantly putting roadblocks in the way of it, even now. One in love should never have to choose a different path, but here we are. The unfairness of it is profound. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, my friend. Cheers!
Thank you, Kris! You're right that the first poem held much anger. It was needed in order to be able to accomplish what needed to be done. And you're right too the second one is sad... there is a certain melancholy that accompanies those early memories. I believe there is some regret... I've often wondered myself just how much, but their time has passed, I'm afraid. Appreciate hearing how these poems affected you. Cheers!
Thanks, Tony. Yeah, we did as expected, and suffered the costs. it's an ache that never really goes away. I will always wonder 'what if?' Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. Cheers!
Sam Cooke... good choice, Mags. I have learned I can love for a very long time... forever really. Some don't fade. Things don't always happen the way we want... especially for people of my generation. We had to make the best choice for us, and survival plays a part in that. I based my choice on his... and for years I convinced myself it was the right one. In many ways it was, but we can only go so long before our heart demands its truth. I think of him often, and I wish...
Thanks for the kind words of support, my friend. Cheers!
Love you too, spikeman. Sad, yeah, but it is part of my past. Being a newbie, I was not prepared for how things worked in the community, and what and who to be wary of, but I learned my lessons well. He's said many times since that it was his loss, and he's right. But, the fact is, I lost years, and once in a while that rankles. I'm pleased this stirred your emotions, buddy. Thanks for the support. Cheers!
Wow. Thank you, Val. I agree with you about that line. It was a shock to me when I realized the qualities I saw were all in my head. He said something to me when we first met that was very shallow, and I should have taken my cue from that.
The violence was necessary... yet I abhor the way it ended. That wasn't me... that was someone who was desperately trying to stay strong and find himself again. Posting something so brutally honest is hard, but it is also cathartic. Your words mean a lot to me, my friend. Appreciate them so much. Cheers!
It's astonishing to me still, how we can convince ourselves of things that just aren't true. We see it all over the world in every conceivable instance. Once the pretense is gone, though, there is no turning back. Truth is truth.
Thanks, Mawgrim, for the kind support. Cheers.
Thanks, northie. Relief is what I feel most, now that time has put distance between us. He never really gave up, but I was never tempted. Okay, full disclosure, that statement might be a touch too absolute. The mind tends to play games, but I'm too smart and too different now to consider such folly. When people show you who they are, believe them. Courage? I suppose, but it was really about self preservation for me. I had lost myself, and the sadness of that was suffocating. Appreciate the support, dear friend. Cheers!
I was a bit shaken too after writing this, Adi. I have a lot of poetry that no one else ever sees, and this could have been one of those. Fact is, though, I was proud to be writing again, so I made the decision it would be posted. I like how you describe your journey in reading this one. It was a long day for me, but yeah, shackles were shed as I gained strength... and that freedom enticed me to bear all the pain so I could claim it. Much thanks to a fellow poet. Cheers!
Thanks, buddy. It is definitely dark, and yes there was a bit of blood. Living through this, wasting all those years, changed me profoundly. I have no delusions about love, or what can be paraded as love. Appreciate your support as always, dear friend. Cheers!
Thank you so much, Doc! I'm pleased as heck you crossed the street for this poem. This was my first bit of writing after a long spell, and it meant a lot to me that I was able to pen this, brutal as it is. Thanks for quoting the lines you did. That panicked look is branded in my memory, for in it I saw verification that I was right about it all.
Onward and upward... I might glance back, but there is nothing there to dwell on. Cheers, my friend.
Thank you very much, Chris. I write poetry for myself for sure, but I always hope it will have an effect on readers. It is very validating when it does, and I appreciate you found this amazing. Cheers!
You're right, W_L. It is not pleasant subject matter. Being starkly honest is often uncomfortable, for both the author and the reader. So glad you appreciated my effort, and I thank you for the kind words. Cheers!
Without a doubt, it was, kbois. And writing about it had its pitfalls. I don't wear rose-colored glasses anymore, not when it comes to affairs of the heart. When I first entered the community, I didn't understand the bitterness I witnessed. Now I do.
Thank you for the kind words and the support. Cheers!
I have been frustrated in that way too, Parker, but your words couldn't be any clearer... or rewarding. As poets, we often bare ourselves, because poetry is nothing if it is not honest.
This is an experience I have relived over and over, and as much as it causes turmoil, it does not cause regret. Composing it had two sides... it was a release of sorts, as poetry often is, but it also plunged me back into that very long day. Thankfully, I've never let myself get to that point again.
Your kind support means a lot, my friend. If I can hold you breathless, I did something right. Cheers!
Giving up control happened over years, and it's hard to even know it's happening, Mags. I won't say what finally opened my eyes, but there was no denying the situation I was in any longer. That hurt, but it also forced me to change. I've never wanted to control anyone... only to share, so I believe I was unprepared for the process. I would say violence is never the answer, but it certainly gave punctuation to my words of conviction on that day. Thank you, my friend. Cheers!