The Heretic

make of it what you will

I stand before you

naked, alone, vulnerable,

my head is full of psalms, prayers

chaos/noise and blindness

my pen is a useless broken thing

   ; it writes what it likes

with scant regard for me

the poet, fool,

the clown of disbelief

schismatic/renegade/malcontent

my thoughts/twisted

pouring, oozing,                 drip

                                                 drip

                                                         dripping

unsense and nonsense

brain hard wired to Thor's

lightening madness rod of

untidy unkempt dreams

electricity coursing

clotted blood stroke blues

the empty container of me

thoughts flood and explode/

                                          explore

the dusty dark corridors of mind

I stand before you, 

I, thinker, be

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

you are a thinker and a poet...and what you consider your "nonsense" makes perfect sense to this poet...we stand before each other, undressing our hearts with words...
it's what we have..and will have to suffice...
others understand, this poem echoes our sentiments exactly.
j.

[gram linski]

high praise from an esteemed poet as yourself, j. thanks as always for the read and great review, much appreciated

[Robert Trakofler]

I dare say many of us would be hanged for heresy if we lived in a different age... and if things get to progressing as they have been on the latest pendulum swing perhaps we might yet still LOL the contemplative mind of a poet is not for everyone and the process of artful expression is a sentence of sentences but at least we have each other for company in life or death we can sit in the cafes with our headless bodies and sip creations with our liberated heads:)

[gram linski]

Indeed, brother, B, think we both might have got the witches treatment back in the day, they can kill the thinker, not the thought, thanks as always for your great review, much appreciated, stay safe over there

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I absolutely loved this. It's a perfect picture of a poet's brain with all the intersections and traffic jams and freeways drawn onto the map. We lay our feelings bare before the world like a heart out on our sleeve and try to understand the source of our particular madness; that condition of being a poet. Excellent write.

[gram linski]

thanks Fabian, you are spot on, the madness of being a poet, trying to negotiate the traffic jams and freeways of life in simple words, appreciate the read, thanks again

[Fabian G. Franklin]

My pleasure, truly. F.

[Laurel Oak]

I read this as a poem; I suppose it’s about someone who is carrying a burden of traumatic experiences kind of raw emotional data yet through his feelings he finds the strength to see the healing abutment with his thoughts as he is moving into the right direction and allows the reader judgment of that product of his, the poem; he seeks acceptance and is not pretentious at all. I like how it makes me feel and it’s not sadness. I see that the poem can be a way to deal with one’s past, it’s a victory.

[gram linski]

glad you enjoyed this one Lauren, much of what you say is true, thanks for the review much appreciated

[Paul Bell]

Sometimes the pen just can't wait for your thoughts to get down on paper.
In contrast to your thinking, something else appears and you have this little moment when you think to yourself. It's there now, but how did it get there.

[gram linski]

aye the invisible hand , sometimes don't even know what I am talking about, half the time, lol, appreciate the review, hope you are well down there

[Paul Bell]

Suns shining, doing great.

[AJNJ]

The Blood Lily blooms following thunder and lightning that comes along with the summer rains. Your words took me there. The most beautiful works are often the products of utter chaos.
Sometimes, it becomes almost a torture, the drip, drip of thoughts, words, dissociated images and one gets confounded as to what to make of all of it. Yet there is always something to most of it. A thinking mind is both a curse and a blessing. I loved the way you have bared yourself to your reader here.

[gram linski]

thanks Pestonjee, aye the mind can be a dangerous wonderful thing full of chaos and beauty at the same time dripping from the pen, appreciate the great review

[AJNJ]

A very relatable poem and a pleasure to read. You're very welcome :)

[Eilis]

The title and the first line set the tone for me and everything builds from there in context and urgency. Heretics, generally speaking, seem to understand both the power and danger of going against an established order. Boldness is required because the act of rebellion will not be ignored. So, I like the way you begin at the height of rebellion and also vulnerability with: I stand before you / naked, alone.

In many ways, the act of writing poetry is like throwing oneself to the wolves. And as your poem implies it’s also not always a fully conscious or controlled process. It requires the setting aside of expectations and letting go of a fear of judgment if we are going to pursue with any seriousness. That invisible hand is waiting for those who aren’t afraid of saying something they didn’t know they meant, or something that clashes with the larger established order. The invisible hand knows that progress only comes when we let go of a fear of being judged and open ourselves to the creative spirit that permeates everything surrounding us.

Rebellion and vulnerability are two of the necessary ingredients, and you’ve gotten to the heart of that here, for me. But also offered a bit of the confounding feeling of not always being able to shape a thing that originates in our own minds.

But, at the end, you reclaim individual power and agency by suggesting it is the engaged mindset that has made it all possible. The thinker stands alone, back turned on the world, on the outside looking out (as a wise man once said) and not at all ashamed.

A very cool invocation and articulation of the power we hold within us when we are not afraid to be ourselves, and also not afraid to let go. Great poem, Gram.

[gram linski]

hey, Eilis, there was definitely the invisible hand thing going on and wasn't quite sure where it would end up, so am glad it managed to convey that sense of writer and mind that you grasped here, thanks as always for your deep insightful thoughts that sometimes elude the conscious me, thanks so much for your time and reading always appreciate your input

[.]

I agree with Jacob, dear gram. This is a bold personal statement; letting the world know just what you are all about, in your no-holds-barred butt naked glory! :)) It's easy to see from your poetry that you think deeply and write outside the normal boundaries of poetic thought. So i wouldn't call you a Heretic and there will be no burning at the stake for you. Just keep jotting down those thoughts and let your readers be your judge. A courageous write, here. Much enjoyed this one! :))

[gram linski]

thanks for the great review, Jamila, we used to have a gallows in town for the hanging of witches and Heretics, not sure I could stop writing even if I wanted to, lol, thanks again much appreciated