Don’t hesitate to write
The moment you feel inspired
Because it doesn’t take much
To kindle these fires
Passions are fleeting
Lost in a dream
And by the time that you wake up
They are never the same
So step to it, lively
Let the song spring from your heart
And if the audience applauds
It’s a bonus to impart
But if they mock and ridicule
Don’t you waiver from delight
For if the heart can rejoice
There’s no need to cave into spite
I’ve felt that very sting before
Feeling ashamed of something joyful
To embarrassed to stand my ground
And to myself, no longer loyal
And then what’s the point
If self cannot be fulfilled
Identity without purpose
Holds nothing which to build
And all because we yield
To the judgements of the lifeless
And all because we think
That sacrifice is righteous
But living self-condemned
Is the antithesis of envy
Who taught us that such a life
Was anything but deadly
It’s time to open these coffins
In a hope of resurrection
That we may break from the binds
Of a mindset’s infection
That we may heal from the pain
We sustained in suppression
That we may follow our dreams
Without any questions
Because when I was young
My imagination ran wild
Not a height I couldn’t reach
Set my sights beyond child
And I clung to my dreams
As they breathed in existence
And when death tried to follow
It was met with resistance
Yet somewhere along the line
I betrayed who I am
And I sacrificed dreams
To the systems of man
And ever since that day
I’ve been cursed to lament
And it’s corrupted me so
That I feel ashamed to repent
So now there’s two gods
That dwell in my mind
One that yet dreams
While the other lies blind
And I’m left to decide
Where I’ll take my steps
The path to my dreams
Or the path to my death
© HeartOfBabel
-
Author:
Garathe Den (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: August 8th, 2021 00:13
- Comment from author about the poem: It is no uncommon thing, that everyone privileged long enough to live, will eventually make some sort of mistake. Most often, they are not detrimental, but sometimes they are, and sometimes mistakes have lasting effects. But no matter what happens in life, there is always a choice with each next step.
- Category: Reflection
- Views: 17
- Users favorite of this poem: HannahElisabeth
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Comments1
"But living self-condemned
Is the antithesis of envy
Who taught us that such a life
Was anything but deadly"
This poem. Wow. All I can say is;
To dance with death is madness
Just to feel alive
A hefty price to pay
For someone trying to survive"
...A piece of a poem I'm currently working on. Seemed fitting here.
I know too well the feeling of betraying who I am. You captured that sentiment beautifully here.
I really enjoyed the bit that you are working on, it definitely resonates! Thank you so much for giving me that sneak peak, I feel so honored!
Regarding betrayal of oneself, so far it always seems like an act of vanity (excluding times that would have solely been acts of selfishness, which is ultimately a betrayal to oneself anyway). Almost like the deeper elements that make up an individual, in a way, have an encoded universal law that it subconsciously knows to follow… and is always proven right. Sort of weird, and yet fascinating as well, even if it is just an imagined idea.
But, as with all the unpredictabilities of what is life, we hopefully learn and grow from the experiences, rather then relive them. Because otherwise life is merely a temporary purgatory, and I’m not really into all of that.
I'm glad you like it! I'm hoping to wrap it up soon and post it eventually. It was from a long lost notebook I conveniently found at just the right time.
There's actually a term for that sort of betrayal and self-sabotage; the shadow self. Which I think is a really cool name for something that came from science. If we don't learn to look to face ourselves in the mirror, truly, and confront the uglier parts, we can't possibly end the cycle. The universe has a funny way of repeating lessons until we face them and grow from them. It truly is purgatory.
And “Hell is empty and all the devils are here”...
That is very fascinating too! I appreciate you sharing that knowledge with me. There’s just too much in life to marvel over, and not enough people talking about it. You’re a gem!
There truly is so much to marvel over, sadly living in the Western world we only get watered down versions of spirituality that pick and choose what matters and what doesn't to fit the narrative...
Cause of course we live in a "Christian Nation"... I hope you can hear the exasperated tone in that... But we're indoctrinated to fear our own humanity, pretend we're more than animals, and thus we sever ourselves from ourselves and nature. Just my opinion but, the Abrahamic religions are hell in and of themselves.
Sorry for the long rant. Long story short, you're quite the gem as well. I always look forward to reading your work!
I hear you about the western civilization bit, and I too find it despairing. There is definitely some huge issues that linger within this society, many of which are very devoutly worshipped.
I have a lot of hope with the younger generations though, in terms of questioning the system and all that. Then again, I also find myself facepalming when I see a viral TikTok so... Who knows. It's up to us to be the change we want to see, so keep rocking the boat 😉
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