By Joseph Hesch
I closed the door on my old self,
the bull in the china shop one
who scattered shards of lives
from one debris pile to the next.
I wasn't sure, or maybe I feared,
what I would find and break
behind the next open door--
the one marked in ink and doubt.
When I walked through it,
I realized that I had been
destroying my own world,
piece by carefully arranged piece.
Now, I was going to spend
the rest of my life
passing notes between the bars
confessing my sins to you
and explaining myself to myself.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteThis is so clean. Such great flow & imagery, no hesitation—I just love this Joe.
You been reading my paper journals, haven't you? Because the truth of this poem resonates so very strongly with me. It's a lovely piece of poetry...
ReplyDeleteNicely done - I wonder if some of us have the propensity to break things like the bull in the china shop ...
ReplyDeletegreat to have your feature up :)
very nice...destroying my own world...oh yeah...and passing notes through the bars...all too real...i like....
ReplyDeleteGorgeous piece!
ReplyDeleteReally honest, this kind of reminded me of the type of honesty in "the post office", congrats on today's spotlight too Joe, very well deserved!
ReplyDeleteOut of chaos comes clarity and awareness of self...trust me, I should know! lol I think Heather's comment speaks volumes about this piece, as with many of your others. CLEAN...I like that word to describe what you do, oh, and amazing as well! :)
ReplyDeleteDamn! Natasha beat me to it! lol ...great poem, you've hit the nail on the head..'Now, I was going to spend
ReplyDeletethe rest of my life
passing notes between the bars
confessing my sins to you
and explaining myself to myself.' - yup, about sums it up..
Self reflection unfortunately shows a lot of broken mirrors.
ReplyDelete"who scattered shards of lives
from one debris pile to the next."
is my favorite line. Excellent retrospection here. :D
"When I walked through it,
ReplyDeleteI realized that I had been"
A terrible, necessary, and life-changing realization. Great poetry.
Touching piece - honest and telling, in the lines and between them. Clean. Wasn't the word I'd have thought to use, but it fits the piece quite nicely, I think. Crisp. Flows easy, bares it message, and draws us in for deep thought. Well struck.
ReplyDeleteSo vivid.. a strong realization of self. great work!
ReplyDeleteHonestly this is hard time "and explaining myself to myself." Well done
ReplyDeletei have a difficult time explaining myself to myself, but an even more difficult time explaining why there will never be an explanation...right or wrong, good or bad, happy or sad, they are all realms, one sinking deeper into the next one...i'll settle for being 'healthy'...
ReplyDeletea great write to ponder...
sincerely,
Passing notes through the bars was in your face
ReplyDeleteReally gave this a great pace
As ones self can be treasured
Maybe not always measured
But the explanation within
Might be a win or sin
Enjoyed the read
Here at your feed
A very well put together and cogent piece of introspective verse, with some distance for perspective but not enough to render it remote. Some never open the door, and stay locked out of themselves forever. I've spent a lot of years explaining myself to myself, and I still don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison of self to the bull charging through and then the letting go of that part of self... and the bars could be actual bars( for drinking) or sort of a self-imposed prison... nice piece.
ReplyDeleteLoving the metaphorical content here. It can mean so many different things to so many different people. Great write!
ReplyDeleteThe realization of self, can be a hard moment to enter
ReplyDelete"When I walked through it,
I realized that I had been
destroying my own world,
piece by carefully arranged piece."
Loved this series...it makes me think of all those little pieces we break off not realizing their overall consequence until its too late. Beautiful write my friend ~ Rose
Perhaps my mood for the day, but I didn't take this as a purely personal perspective, and immediately reflected on Federalist #10 regarding factions. I thought how the individual like a particular faction has selfish needs, and in an atmosphere of freedom will assert those selfish needs until he is stopped by the assertions of another faction (or in this case an individual). The only answer is compromise but before the collision, considerable damage may be done. So much damage that indeed the payment may be loss of freedom.
ReplyDeleteThis worked on an allegorical level too. Well done. Gay
"Bull in a china shop self". I guess if there was a vote, that'd be the one most people choose to discard...the one that breaks things. But I've seen some mosaics - beautiful things made up entirely of those shards you spoke of. They make me want to run with the bulls :)
ReplyDeleteCrisp and clear and hopefuly a metaphoric jail. But I know the feeling. Sometimes we have to get out of our own way. Self awareness can be a b----, but its the stuff that makes for real honest writing. I liked this!!!!!!
ReplyDeletegreat piece
ReplyDelete"I wasn't sure, or maybe I feared,
ReplyDeletewhat I would find and break
behind the next open door-- "
The longer it stays shut the harder it becomes to open. I can relate to this.
A great piece Joe.
Anita.
Hard time, indeed...but freeing as well to realize what has been self-inflicted. Very nice write; enjoyed your interview on OSP as well ~
ReplyDelete