Chaos

A meditation on those who need chaos

All decry it, but some cherish it

In their hearts, a dark secret even

To themselves.

It has its purpose, a protective function

That keeps a demon at bay,

For while the air is filled with fear

And rage, the ticking of a clock is

Muffled for a time,

And a hostile and unfeeling world

Is brought at last to heel.

Thus is death curtained away temporarily,

Until the threat arises once again.

Author's Note

Behind the need for ongoing chaos lies the fear of death.

Reviews

[Anthony Arnold]

good work, John the Baptist
from your name, I actually expected something a little more sunday baptist church, or heavy on the sermon or the like. I don't know why I expected this, just from a moniker, ... but I did.
Great Poem, throws a very different ... spirit, if I may,... onto the reader.

'It has its purpose, a protective function
That keeps a demon at bay.'
Once again we are reminded to not forget the other gods, the darker gods, who ask only a pennance of their followers... or what have you ...

Like in some old translated heiroglyphs;
You! Tuts-ui, You! Sobek .. y Hathor!
No te ignoras aHwaHnyas
because you know him.
And he knows you.
.....
Okay, I'll take another ......

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. I chose the pen name John the Baptist because that was what one of my clients called me when I was working in the mental health field.

[Anthony Arnold]

Apparently, you were the Kind in this field earning such a nickname. I mean, when I was the boss in the sawmill, they called me 'hatchet'.
lazy worms that they are .....

[Einstein Noodle]

i don't think of chaos as internal .. what pops to mind are anarchists .. who also assign meaning to it .. a purpose ... your poem sparks me to consider chaos as an internal tool to avoid, cover and hide some deeper fear and/or pain ... we certainly have lots of coping tools when experiencing overwhelming enemies ;) but deal with it all we must .. as your poem's closing states .. they will arise again .. no matter how hard and deep we try to stuff them .. thought provoking poem for me .. theme is clear .. no rhyming .. rhythm is ..well...chaotic ;)))) not a lot of imaging .. does have the ticking clock rage .. closing is a good wrap and makes the point ... this is more like prose .. straight forward language ..strong and important life's theme ... could very well be a psychological thriller ;)
E.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks for your thoughtful review. My purpose in writing is to help people deal with problems. Sometimes it will sound like poetry, sometimes not. As to chaos on the human level, it always starts within.

[Einstein Noodle]

poetry can help us all eh!? ;) i suppose you are right about chaos from within ... i just never internalized it watching the world around us .. a new perspective to engage .. love and joy sir!

[gram linski]

as a patron of the chaos mind I totally get this, great poem, John,

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, Gram. Hope you're not an example of what the poem describes.

[R.E. Ray]

Chaos, the supposed opposite of Order, is a diversion from fate (ultimately death). It occupies the mind, drives the worst acts of humanity, and gives only temporary fulfillment to those who want to deny reality, the path to the end. That's what I read here, and I see this in the media every day. Well written, sir.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. You have grasped my meaning. To some, noise is but a protective cover for the dreaded silence.

[Dave Brown]

I have seen situations/relationships go on because of the idea of being safe with what you know/have vs fear of the unknown
For instance, ongoing mental/physical abuse
I think this is what you are getting at

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. Some would rather live with daily pain than to venture into uncharted territory.

[Robert Trakofler]

I would not have drawn this conclusion myself and after reading it I will no doubt be in a chaotic ponder over this. The mind of one of whom loves the shroud of chaos is one that I have not attempted to crawl into for chaos is the cryptonite of my processing issues and I tend to reflexively withdraw from those that exude it. It is not that I dont have a sympathy for them its just a daily struggle for me to keep focus with a cracked mind. I find this perspective very interesting and enlightening John I will no doubt be thinking of this

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, Bunny. One of my careers drew me into frequent contact with this type of individual. I tried to help them in those days. Now I would probably try to avoid them.

[Chris Shaw]

An interesting write John. I know those who live in chaos because that is their lifestyle. I don:t know whether they actually enjoy it or need it. Something for me to ponder on.

Chris

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, Chris. When I worked in the mental health field, I knew many people whose lives were one crisis after another. There were some who initiated these events themselves.

[lightsong]

I know many of them, but not all of them their needed Chaos is the veil of fear. like always You reveal the truth dear John, in Chaos they make their minds busy, and keep it being busy, and like this they leave no room in their minds to think of anything, they maybe thinking they are protecting their selves from this emotion of fear, but in fact they are feeding it somehow else, luckily I never had this fear of death and I don't believe I will ever do.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, LS. Ongoing busyness can also be a sign of the fear of death. An argument can be made that all fears originate from this one.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

someone i am very close to has this kind of life...always scared...always mentally abused...afraid to stay, afraid to leave...no convincing in the world can get her to see that she is worth so much more than what she is being put through by this guy...
but yes, some seem to live for drama...
it sustains them.
j.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, j. I am not qualified to make a diagnosis (and no one is from a distance.), but the person of whom you speak shows some of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder.