There Is a Place

Dark poem

There is a place in the barren mind,

Where imagination dares break free.

Taking flight to Oz and Neverland,

Fantasies only the blind dare see.

 

There is a place in the battered soul,

Where yearning and hope endure.

Desperate whispering, silent pleading,

Painted in shades of dark azure.

 

There is a place in the wounded spirit,

That buffers a wee small flame.

While each gasp and every ragged breath,

Cries out in angst-wrought shame.

 

There is a place in the wintry heart,

Where love and joy once thrived.

Sweet memories, cloaked in mockery,

From such is dark verse derived.

Author's Note

I have no idea where the darkness comes from...I don't see myself as a dark or depressed person. Maybe I manage to puke it all out in my poetry...one can only hope, I guess. :)

Reviews

[Vria P Crow]

Darkness can be overwhelming yet beautiful. "There is a Place" was a prime example of such beauty. Subjectively, the mind is made up of countless "corners." Imagination and creation can be terrifying when we become mini Gods; this adds responsibility. I feel that our words are children when the escape us and into prose or poetry. I do not consider this to be a depressing poem. Observation came to mind as I read it; there is romanticism behind your word choice such as "dark verse." Even the most horrid subject matter can be a masterpiece.

Thank you for sharing.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Ria, for this beautiful and insightful review. Appreciate it very much.

[Vria P Crow]

You are very welcome.

[M. L. F.]

I don't think dark writing is about depression at all. It is a showing of the dark side, without which there would be no light, no victory, no hope, no triumph. I think that no one can really appreciate the light unless they've been locked in the closet of life's troubles, staring at the tiny strip left that glows around the edges of the door. It is from the dark that the hope of seeing the light again springs forth.. ;) Nice poem... Good meter. Thanks for sharing.
..Misty

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Misty! What a beautifully thoughtful review...and so true. The Yin and Yang...there is no light without dark...no day without night. Not good and evil...simply a balance of two divergent entities, perhaps. I appreciate that you took time to read and review. Thank you!

[M. L. F.]

You are welcome. Fellow Military brats and moms who love to write need to stick together ;)

[ReedWrite]

LOL...true that!

[Einstein Noodle]

we hide things in closets and rooms ..we close the doors ... lock them up with the most fearful of webs, blistery flesh and helpless falling ... its what we do as children without the knack to rest, trust, accept comfort in a loving, forgiving Creator ... the thing is that it is too easy .. so easy we can not accept it .. :) but the truly great thing is that the offer is never withheld ..never revoked ... never denied the honest heart ;) boy oh boy your poem took me thoughts "to the universe and beyond .. " ...(Buzz Lightyear) raw poetry for sure!
E.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Einstein!
What a beautiful compliment...that the poem took your thoughts to new places...that is all any writer can ever hope for...to touch the reader and give them pause to think. Hugs.

[An owl on the moon]

You seem to take threads, some from heaven and some from hell, and you intricately weave them into a tapestry of life. And is this not the world around us, within us, such threads of joy and sorrow, peace and fear, all coming together to form who we are, and who we are becoming. So beautifully voiced.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you for reading and commenting, C. You see beyond the words...as your own verse would lead me to believe you could, and would. Thank you for this beautiful review.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Darkness isn't bad. Dark souls are. Fear not the darkness, but fear should be in losing ourselves in it and never finding the way out.
We all are wild in someway, yearning to do things in a crazy way. But therein lies the experiences we get. Great read ☺

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Yumna, for your insight and positive words.
Appreciate you dropping in to read and comment.

[Dr. YumnaKay]

You are welcome! The pleasure was mine ☺

[Chris]

Chuckling here... stanza two is out of beat...

Otherwise good rhythm and scheme.

[ReedWrite]

I will look at stanza two and see what I can manage for cleaning it up a bit.
Thank you for the critique, Chris. Appreciate it.

[Chris]

anytime...

[Paul Bell]

I don't think it's dark. But i do think it's cathartic to yourself. Especially the last verse. Which i wouldn't mind borrowing.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Paul. Appreciate your words.

[Rowan Liddell]

Darkness is like trouble: a poor weather friend. It shows up when things are bad. I really love this poem and tend to frequent these places in the spirit myself so I can connect easily with it. It has nice pacing and I thoroughly enjoy couplets.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you very much, Rowan. Appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.

[PhoenixDown]

You aren't dark. You are real. You are an honest soul, a tenacious writer. You walk forward, when others would stop & turn around. This isn't dark. This isn't gloomy. This isn't depression. This is honesty & honesty is always darkly beautiful. Don't ever stop being honest.

Phoenix

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Phoenix. That...touches me deeply. Thank you! I don't know what else to say. Big hug.

[PhoenixDown]

I shall take it.
Sometimes words are not needed. Only hugs.

I am glad you found this so touching. You are most welcome.

[Sharon L.H. Kelly]

"Fantasies only the blind dare see", I love this line. You capture inner feelings effortlessly. Well done.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Sharon! I worried over that line, actually...wondering if it was too deep...if readers would grasp what I was trying to convey. It hovers on the border of workable, but I liked it too, so kept it. I'm so glad you liked it as well. Thank you for the review. Appreciate it very much.

[aLittlePain]

A dark foreground but beautiful none the less. Effortlessly poetic and enigmatic. R xo

[ReedWrite]

Grabs you and hugs you. You always make me smile, Ray. Thank you. I don't mind the darkness. Too much love and sunshine is like eating too much cotton candy. It tastes good. You love it. But it also leaves you with a headache and a sick tummy if you eat too much. But that's just me. I like the darker side because it is there humans are tested...it's there we shine...it's there we grow...it's there we reach deep and step beyond what we thought we could. It's a richer place...but the price is, it saps emotion. It's also heavier...a weight that we have to lift to shoulders that can grow tired of carrying that darkness. Okay...I'm rambling. Sorry. I seem to be in a rambling mood tonight.

[aLittlePain]

I love your rambling :) I can certainly relate to all of that. It's refreshing to read someone who writes with a great sense of freedom...at least that's how it comes across to me. You can keep it coming all day.