letting go

[Delta40]

I stood in the bleak hall
of life's grown up games
to be a lost child
and smiled

on tiptoes I stretch'd
to comfort the wretch
of a man whose heart
pressed tears to my chest

I crushed my child self
till she was
dust on a shelf
when I gaze back
the pain in my neck
reminds me of how tightly
I've clung on

[MorpheusSandman]

Another great one. That last stanza is really superb. Only suggestion might be is to simply start a thread dedicated to all of your poetry since you're posting so much lately.

[blazeofglory]

I stood in the bleak hall
of life's grown up games
to be a lost child
and smiled

on tiptoes I stretch'd
to comfort the wretch
of a man whose heart
pressed tears to my chest

I crushed my child self
till she was
dust on a shelf
when I gaze back
the pain in my neck
reminds me of how tightly
I've clung on

This is really a very interesting poem and as a matter of fact it has substance that is a little different than the usual that we come across day today.

[TheFifthElement]

This is a lovely poem Delta, sad and quietly disturbing. I just didn't understand one thing:


on tiptoes I stretch'd


why not 'stretched'? When the 'e' takes up as much room as the apostrophe why not just use the whole word? It seems an unnecessary archaism, to me, which detracts from the poem, although, if I'm being totally honest, I get the shudders when I see those old fashioned use of apostophes (like crack'd, ugh!) so perhaps I'm just biased.

Anyway, I thought the ending was very powerful, in an understated way as was the whole poem.

[Delta40]

perhaps to convey the action is beyond the ability or understanding of the child

it felt right to spell it that way.

[firefangled]

You have captured this with such physical imagery the reader can't help but feel it.

Excellent, Delta.

[Delta40]

thanks firefangled. Your feedback is much appreciated.

[cogs]

I crushed my child self
till she was
dust on a shelf
when I gaze back
the pain in my neck
reminds me of how tightly
I've clung on
i like the shelf, for 1-it's like you have 'shelved' your childhood, and 2-it reminds me of childrens' books on a shelf. the next line reminds me of the many 'pains in the neck' the adult experiences. it's good to have many images in one.

[skib]

I could reiterate what everyone else has already said, but I'll just plainly say I love it. The last stanza touched me, as well.

[qimissung]

I love the image "I crushed my child self til she was dust on the shelf..." what heartbreak in that line.