Foreign Heart

A poem about how it is possible to fight death.

I've known a man, who has a foreign heart,

keeping him from going deadly pale.

Waiting until the final day to depart

Seems like an old wives’ tale.

Taking away the weak who cannot fight back,

Our knowledge of ourselves knocks him off track.

Each year, we steal a day from his boney hand.

And we spread it with every soul in every land.

I've heard of a man with dead eyes.

Blackness covering all of his days.

Yet, with the world's sound he still spies

while walking in his shadowed maze.

As sometimes he fails in his final swing,

Only slicing away just a single wing.

Making us struggle in everyday's flight.

While still raising our fists to fight.

"Death waits for no man" is a line

which I refuse to use in my rhyme.

I'm sure it's just one single white lie

As I've seen dead men walking by

Author's Note

A lot of family members have been going in and out of the hospital lately. Which got me thinking, the hospital, all the medical studies, is just one giant middle finger to death. This poem states that.

Stanza 1 : This stanza begins with "I've known a man who has a foreign heart" Which is not a metaphor, but has to be taken literally as a man who had heart replacement surgery. The foreign heart kept him from dieing(going pale) and out of death's range. The final two lines then state that simply waiting until he comes for you is a thing of the past, today, we fight back.

Stanza 2: taking away the weak who cannot fight back does not mean taking away those who are physically weak, but those who have given up. those who spend months if not years fighting, but sooner or later crumble. This line also states not to give up, as "Our knowledge of ourselves knocks him off track" meaning our studies on OUR bodies(not his) hesitates and keeps him back. And, with each year, we steal a day from his hand, meaning each year our lifespan expands just a tiny little bit, but that bit is (attempted, as not always succed) spread to every person in every land.

Stanza 3: T"I've head of a man with dead eyes" is obviously a blind man with "blackness covering all of his days". He still lives, "sees" and communicates with the world using sound, while always walking in his shadowed maze, as to him, the world itself is one giant maze.

Stanza 4 - his stanza states on what death does when he misses. He swings his sytche, but instead of impaling and bringing us down to his grasp, he simply slices off a wing and we float and flap away. These are disabilities, saying that disabilities are death's missed or badly aimed swings. Despite the weakness' in the end "still raising our fists to fight".

Stanza 5 - The poem ends with the poet saying that he refuses to use the famous phrase "Death waits for no man" as he believes it's a lie. Yes, death does not wait, but he can be halted, as the poet "has seen dead men walking by". This meaning that he's seen people who should be dead, but indeed are not thanks to modern medicine.

Reviews

[...]

. without mincing words ... i think this is the absolute best that you have ever written in terms of philosophy ... this is the finest and most well-written ode to both man's spirit / resilience ... and therefore ... his advances in medicine ... your language always flows beautifully ... but you've done an exceptional job in the lines about the blind man ... and of course ... in the last stanza ... outstanding work, ryan ... if you wish to record this instead of perfect ... please go ahead ... would be awesome ... :) ...

[alan peter kelly]

i like the rhyming couplets here...they are not so convoluted as rhyming couplets can often be...this piece reflects a dark experience that has touched me and in turn affects me in a strong way...we die a little every day...and though it does not pay to harbour such thoughts for too long a time outside of the philosophical...we are all indeed "dead men walking"...and this knowledge empowers us to make the most of the lives that we have been given...impressive write...strong poetic voice...

[...]

. these words sound so very spectacular in your voice, ryan ... and once again ... your support for the poet's voice makes us shine ... thank you so much, ryan, for all your support ... emmah and i are very grateful ... :) ...