Who Is This Man

facing myself

looking at him

was immediately unsettling

his eyes were pleading

for me to turn away,

but i couldn't

i've seen him---

his face

many times before

but never like this...

looking this long

somehow--- was killing him

the strength i've seen in him

countless times before

was fading

his warrior stance... buckling

flesh began to replace armor

oblivious perfection gave birth to flaws

those eyes, continued to beg me

to find another direction---

i could not

as i looked into him,

or he into me...

his struggle was revealing itself

slowly explaining

why this perspective is so scary---

guiding me down a long twisted road

we pass many broken things

light and heat become less and less present

he demands i look away---

i don't

i continue to walk the path

stumbling over the clutter as i do

just as i think i've arrived

to the point of total blackness

the light remains ghostly faint---

amid the rubble, close to the ground...

something moves

he tells me to look away,

i tell him... i can't

pushing my way through the chaos

reaching out, i find---

a boy... all alone

and for some reason frantically building

he was covered in scars

looking at them---

those scars... made me weep for him

flashes of forgotten pain

crash down on me...

shock slams my eyes shut

but keep them closed--- i can't do

i open them to find the boy

still building

so i ask the obvious...

what are you building?

the boy replies, you

i say, you can't be

he says to me...

open your eyes

(thick denials shatter)

and his scars... become my scars

the clutter he is so desperately building with

is what i am---

a mess... pieced together

by a damaged little boy

with an aversion to light and heat

but a knack for surviving---

i look to my guide

and he looks to me,

i sift through the clutter

and begin replacing his armor

because now i can see...

that it was i

who built him

 

 

Author's Note

A very emotional write for me... sorry if it is choatic. This is my second time reading this(as i posted it), and my first time editing it. I hope it translates well to all who read it. Thank you... your thoughts are welcomed.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Poetry is like a painting. You set-up the reader for thoughts and vision. You did in the poem. The strong description led the reader to the powerful ending. I could the struggle and the learning of understanding in the poem. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

And as always, thank you for a great review. Your words are always insight, honest, and encouraging. Thank you, Coyote.

[Danielle]

This piece truly moved me. I could literally taste the emotion behind every word. Tremendously written!

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Thank you for such a powerfully sincere review. I"m honored it moved you on such a level.

[Renée]

I am only a laywoman when it comes to poetry.. P H this is deep and I can tell very personal..and very well written!
I think we do that..look at our little selves and see how that person we use to be became strong though all the tests to become who we are now... Powerful piece ...thank you for sharing this with us ( :

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Thank you for your time and wondeful review, Renee. I too, am no expert in this thing called "poetry"... I am, however glad that this reached you in such a powerful way.

[Renée]

It was my pleasure ( :

[ANTO]

Search of self and self-acceptance are the hardest things in life. You wrote about it eloquently and not chaotic at all ph. We all have to learn to forgive ourselves before we can truly forgive others.

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Your words are spot on... I'm still working on the forgiving others part. Maybe I still have some learning to do. Thank you for that wise perspective.

[Cassie]

Nice read which i enjoyed reading. Good one

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Thank you, Cassie.

[Cool Handless Luke]

an excellent write travis. i can imagine this was a bit cathartic for you to write. the introspective works usually hit us the hardest because they are the most revealing and require a bit of acceptance and forgiveness from ourselves. thoroughly enjoyed this one.

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Thank you, Jeff it was that exactly. I'm glad you enjoyed this piece.

[TrimarcoRansome]

Very powerful writing! looking at our selves scrutinizing what we are can be very daunting but advantageous, to be able to write something like this i would say you have achieved what you set out to do! a solid subject matter, keep writing!

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Thank you for such inspiring words... your review is just as appreciated. Looking at ourselves this closely is in fact daunting, but something we all must do eventually.

[annabellee]

wow I loved it, such a great poem. I could feel your emotions in this one. I enjoyed the story you told here a lot.
"flesh began to replace armor" Those were my favourite lines, so descriptive and imaginative like the whole poem. Your words painted pictures in my head.
Well penned :)

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Thank you for such an awesome review, Anna. I'm glad you enjoyed this piece and gave it purpose.

[annabellee]

you're most welcome :)