Poetry: #81 Love's Truth
And my thoughts after revisiting the words
Love’s Truth
Within your arms I hold onto life without their touch I am no more. Within your arms I feel your trust the affection I have I give freely. By your side I seek the truth, don't let me go else I leave alone. By your side I wait until dawn to see what we find. I found you. Embraced I know you will never let go without that truth I am nothing. Embraced you know Just like I do without my presence you are so much less. Side by side we stand completing the circle no matter the weakness we are made whole.
What are your thoughts on this poem?
My Thoughts on Demise 19
Continuing the thoughts from last poem, we find the man reminiscing on this concept of love. It is a simple poem with each thought strung out across a few short lines as the narrator ponders these thoughts. The man, for all his flaws, is not a psychopath, a sociopath maybe but certainly not a psychopath. He has emotions. He feels. He is just another man with sins weighing him down. How he reacts, that is up to him.
The narrator uses “I” statements to show what he’s feeling, what he’s going through. The tone according to AI (as I found out messing around with it and reports at work) “sounds arrogant” but I do recall a time when I was told effective leaders use “I” statements. They convey their feelings concisely and accurately. I never really bought into that concept as it centers the discussion on oneself, but I don’t think it is arrogant either. It’s a process to share what you are going through and why you are feeling the way you are. It serves a purpose as this man simplifies his thoughts to the honest feelings he has. He might be insane, he might be a storm of emotion, and he might editorialize everything from his past… but in this moment he is bearing his unadultered thoughts.
This woman meant life to the man. He might have become a murderer, taking her life, but she still means more than anything else to the man no matter what he tells himself. She’s still on his mind, weighing him down and into the past—rightfully so! He has to face the consequences, as he has said himself. This woman was life to him, and love, and trust, and when that was broken, his world was shattered. Everything he believed was turned into questions and nothing was true or trustworthy. The narrator in his jail cell enjoys the comfort of the cell because he is shielded from the horror of relying on society, trusting society, to keep him safe until his court date. The very society that makes no sense to him, that won’t accept the consequences of its actions and refuses to acknowledge the good and evil he sees in the world.
The murderer is on the outside looking in, and through all the faults in his logic, we have to accept his honesty in this poem. It is a requirement of humanity for us to give second chances, to provide the opportunity for others to repent. Some people may not be allowed to walk the streets for their crimes, but redemption while in prison is still something that is possible as it is spiritual. Jesus sat down with the sin006Eers to dine because you have to meet people where they are. When you do, you realize that they are flawed, and so are you. When you do, you realize that if you deserve a chance to be forgiven, to repent, and to turn your life around, why shouldn’t they have the same right?
I’ve had many moments where I didn’t want to give others second chances or a chance to apologize or even repent. Those moments have always made me feel worse, like I was wielding power over others that I didn’t deserve. That is why after writing this collection I developed a mindset that is still in practice to this day. I wipe the slate clean for those around me. It doesn’t mean that I don’t remember what they did, but I do my best to not hold it against them unless it is a repeated offense and I’ve confronted them on the matter. I may not use “I” statements and rely on my emotions when sharing my concerns like the narrator of this collection is doing here, but I do make an effort convey why I don’t approve of what is happening and that I want it to change. If the other person refuses, I take the lessons of the past and make them history.
I’ve said this a hundred different ways and here it is again: “The past is the slate with all the trespasses upon it. History is what is left after gleaning every piece of useful information that one can and wiping the slate clean. History informs the present, and the present dictates the future.” I wipe the slate clean so the past is no longer a burden, but I would be foolish to not know the history of people and how they interact with me. If this history becomes cumbersome, I must change the present because it is the present that’s becoming the past and the present that dictates the future.
Question Section
Have you ever refused to give someone a second chance or the opportunity to repent? Do you wish you would have? If you did, what did the person do with the opportunity? Why do you think they did that? Why do you think they thought that was the right course of action? Ask trusted friends what they think of the situation, try to put your bias to the side, and see if there is room for you to grow and become more gracious. Or, if you feel comfortable with doing so, share in the comments below.
I hear another poem is coming every Saturday!