Life in Rewind

Why do I dream fondly of the miseries I've fled?

The old and rotten sorrow tastes so sweet inside my head.

 

Am I masochistic? Or just a touch insane?

Shouldn't I be happy living picket-fence mundane?

 

What compels this madness? What drives me to court tears?

Is my lifestyle so sedate now that I seek my thrill in fears?

 

Or maybe I'm just lonely. Social severance syndrome.

So Doc, what's the cure-all? Should I pack my bags for Rome?

 

No, it's easier than that, it seems. My curse is not so grand.

Just pen a heart-shaped letter, and deliver it by hand.

 

So here I stand before your door, the memories reborn,

Your hands around my heart and note, the edges frayed and torn.

I know I said I hated you, and maybe I still do,

But love and hate can coexist, so maybe we can too?

Reviews

[Susannah Rae]

God i love love love this. I especially enjoyed the first couple of lines, they're so hauntingly familiar. I'm a self sabotager to put it in the nicest terms so the way you opened the piece really drew me in and made it personal for me from the gate. Another thing i thought was fascinating was at the end of the piece; you introduced the idea of duality, and tolerance. Overall this is such a thought-provoking piece, i believe i will be finding new depths to connect it to in the coming reads. Thank you so very much for sharing!

[Matt Sayer]

And thank you so much for reading and examining so thoroughly, Susannah! I always love when people can relate to my writing :)

[Anand Sehgal]

Many important questions raised and the flow has been kept intact !
very good work !
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[Matt Sayer]

Thanks Anand! :)

[captain]

I like how this piece flow so smoothly, and very fluent of the emotion you've want to conveyed and the rhyming is very good. Between love and hate, there lies a balance and that balance depends on you. Very nice work here.

[Matt Sayer]

Thanks Captain! The balance is certainly unique to the individual: some people prefer the fire of hate in their bellies to liven the love, while others choose the purity of affection untainted. :)

[captain]

you are welcome :)
Yup, it depends on the individualistic choice a person has.

[Bob Sherunkle]

That was great Matt. I think maybe we have all been in a relationship like that.It's a confusing situation.Really great write

[Matt Sayer]

Thanks Bob! Confusing is right; after the fact, things might seem clear, but in the heat of the moment it's pure anarchy.

[Justine]

I think I am a bit of a fence sitter on this subject. I believe that if there's hate then there are still feelings as hate is usually borne from being hurt by someone you care about. If it was good once, it could be again. But...history has a habit of repeating. So rather than deliberate on the whys and wherefores, I will focus on your writing style, which I think you know I find refreshing and real. Great form and rhyme with some great lines like "Am I masochistic? Or just a touch insane? Shouldn't I be happy living picket-fence mundane?"... I think this is the crux of the poem. Being in a relationship is more than "love", it's a lifestyle choice, at least for me. Great writing here. Justine

[Matt Sayer]

Thanks Justine! Amazing review, as always. I think I should have prefaced this poem with a by-line classifying this as a thought experiment. Though I do think fondly of past mistakes and miseries, I don't actually think it's healthy to revisit them in the hopes that things will be different. Definition of crazy, and all that. :)

[Laura Harrison]

I absolutely love the lines
"I know I said I hated you, and maybe I still do,
But love and hate can coexist, so maybe we can too?"
This was a very clever and honest write, well done :)

[Matt Sayer]

Thank you very much adetailedflame! Those lines are among my favourites, out of all I've written :)

[aneeqa]

This poem of yours took me to some other dimension that means I hv never thought of opposite feelings coexisting......perhaps the cause is less experience than you....I loved the way you have woven the indecisiveness with threads of slight insanity and love for pain.... well done....I like reading you.. :)

[Matt Sayer]

Thank you very much aneeqa! :) Mutual exclusivity is not something the heart subscribes to: like a tentative truce between warring factions, we can often survive with conflicting emotions burning inside us.

[Rachelle]

....what happens if you had not dared risk it at all?

[Matt Sayer]

Not dared risk loving at all? Or not returned?

[Anita Singh]

Sure, Love and hate..good and bad..sanity and insanity can coexist together. Each one of us have both sides. Nice work!!

[Matt Sayer]

Thanks Annabella! :)

[icelandicblue]

I absolutely love this. I'd stand to the side when I knocked on the door just to make sure the shotgun blast missed you. Seriously, love is sharp and love is soft and sometimes one is hidden beneath the other. I like this.

[Matt Sayer]

Thank you so very much icelandic! I'm really glad you like it :)