Burnt

[CdnReader]

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Burnt

The echoes drive me
from wall to wall....
escape this accursed place before I fall.
Voices scream, cry, curse....
How long till I realize that the voice is my own?
Eyes empty....pain overwhelming.
How long till I understand that my raving falls on deaf ears...?
that insanity is just a state of mind,
and that approach is imminent?

There is no rescue,
there is no survival....
but for that which I wrench up
from the inner core of my being deep....
Fingers gripped around the single source,
the light of the spirit,
from which I can arise again...

I stand in the fire.
I burn in the flames until only ash remains.
And the only sound
that permeates the stillness
is a single heartbeat.

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cdn/01aug07
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[PrinceMyshkin]

Wow! That quiet ending, that "single heartbeat," contrasts so ominously with all the panic-stricken lines that precede it!

Not your most joyous poem, assuredly, but very powerful.

[CdnReader]

A little dark this one, yes, most definitely.... Thank you, Jer.

[Pendragon]

Perhaps an ending of renewal like a Phoenix from fire, beauty for ashes? A thought only... Nice poem, I personally like dark poetry.

Pen

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Smilies/Appaluse.gif

[Bii]

And the only sound
that permeates the stillness
is a single heartbeat.

I love these lines, considering the contrast to the main body of the poem they end it perfectly. You've managed to capture the combined confusion and terror of mental illness without making it into something degrading. Well done.

[CdnReader]

Pen, for the longest time I thought I could only write poetry from a dark place, a place of heartbreak and grief and disillusion. [I think Jer got really sick of all that at one point and gave me a comeuppance... *gulp* .... *grin*] But whether we write from joy, or horror, or love, or anger, or ecstasy, or childhood delight.... I think some of the best poetry comes from highly emotional places. I'm glad to find that I can write something BESIDES dark, but dark still appeals to me, and helps me work through the depths of difficult feelings. Thanks muchly for your encouragement.

Bii, your response is very very special to me....there's no way for me to express how much it means. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and once more - thank you.

[stephofthenight]

breathtaking, made me cry...it realy ment something to me. ive found that this poem you wrote seems to speak to me in a way. i realy like it. thank you for sharing it. i can rember living in that feeling, terror and amazment at the emotion that you feel. verry well done. thak you
steph

[CdnReader]

I'm glad that you found something valuable in my poem, Steph. And thank you for your kind words. :)