Reclaiming My Soul, A Poem

By



There is light at the aperture
but the darkness taunts me
and pulls me back.


It envelopes me and pulls me down.
Sinking as if in mire,
My dreams and loves suppressed.

Suffocating and lonely
A tortured soul
How can I find the strength to move on.

The voices haunt me,
the judgement passing,
Steal my breath.

But deep within I know
I must find the courage to soar
To leave behind their solemn words.

But see to them I must be as they say
Conform to their life,
And be their way.

No love is worth this price to pay
For in my depth I know one day
The time will come for me to shine
to rise above and claim what’s mine.

I am liberated as a bird,
Rising in the updrafts
My plumes reach toward the sky.

Liberated I carry on,
One step forward,
And none behind.

One day when I awake,
I know I will have found
The belief in who I am renewed.

The light will embrace me
In its warmth
And then I’ll know that I’ve come home.

__
I hope you enjoyed my poem, as inspired by recent events in my life, as well as this photograph.

What does this photo inspire in you?  A poem, a description, a small passage?  Please share it with us.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 28, 2012 at 10:52 AM

    I liked the poem. It pleasing read. The photo does set the emotion. I had gone different direction before I saw it on the sneak peek on facebook.
    Good work.

    Gary Duncan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ann SwannApril 28, 2012 at 12:05 PM

    Nice! Yes, the pic does it justice. Why not enter it in www.rustynailmag.com poetry contest?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carolyn ArnoldApril 28, 2012 at 1:58 PM

      Thanks Ann. I'll check the contest out. I've always been a novelist first...poetry only comes to me when sorting through things.

      Delete
  3. M.L. FalconerApril 28, 2012 at 12:42 PM

    I love the "light at the end of the tunnel" affect. the closterphobic-ness of the image and the way you bring that out in the poem ... It's wonderful.

    Mel AKA M.L. Falconer

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jennifer ChaseApril 28, 2012 at 2:09 PM

    Beautiful Carolyn. I love photos that inspire various emotions. I find that I gravitate (in my photography) toward the lone tree in a forest, ghost towns, old buildings from a long ago time, etc.

    Thank you for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carolyn ArnoldApril 28, 2012 at 2:20 PM

      Thank you Jennifer : )

      I love those too, and in fact have a photo picked out of a black and white shack which I'll be putting up soon. Those type of pictures make you wonder about all the people who passed through.

      Delete
  5. Betty DravisApril 28, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    Hi, Carolyn, You certainly matched the mood of the photo. Your poem is moving...bittersweet in that it's bitter to think of someone being "put down," but sweet to read of the hope at the end. Keep doing what you're doing. You're strong, talented and will get past all blockades that might hinder you.

    Hugs - Betty <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carolyn ArnoldApril 28, 2012 at 5:01 PM

      Thank you Betty. Your words mean more than you can know <3

      Delete

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