I look ruddy-complexioned and solid, but under this papier-mache mask I’ve melted. Flame extinguished. I’m only haunted by my own gloomy self, but it’s just so difficult to care to rekindle this wick when there’s no spark. So cold, but I can’t even shiver.
***
Written for The Sunday Muse, Shay’s Word Garden Word List, WOTDC, dVerse
Jewish Young Professional 
Well written poem.
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Thank you!
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How much of this is your current mood and how much is in response to the prompt? It is that time of the year when Spring is just too far out of reach and winter has become old news.
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Actually, this one was driven more by the prompts and less by my current mood. Not to say that I haven’t felt this way in recent memory, but I actually wasn’t feeling so down when I wrote this; it was just the first poetic direction that came to mind.
I agree with you that this time of year sucks.
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Glad to hear it was mostly the prompts.
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I think sometimes that a little distance can provide the perspective needed to produce a piece of art (whatever form it might take) about a given state of mind. When we’re in the middle of it, it’s true that our work can have a raw quality to it, but it can be somewhat warped and incomplete because we haven’t yet drawn a meaning out of it. Nice poem as always.
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A very good point. While I know many people who write poetry as therapy, I’ve never really been able to do this. If I’m in a bad state, I can’t think about imagery or line breaks in the right places. If I can write at all, it’s just ranty post shit. More often than not, it’s just watching dumb videos or some other form of wasting life on the internet trying to anaesthetize my mind.
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Yeah, I spent the morning watching videos of an orangutan driving a golf cart.
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My first reaction to this was, ooh, send me the video link
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Just search “famous orangutan driving a golf cart”
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Eek! And crikey! (Inappropriate blasphemy with that. Apologies.)
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I feel weird condoning inappropriate blasphemy (is there such a thing as appropriate blasphemy?), but I’m hard to offend. No apologies needed here!
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Major kudos to you for combining not one, not two .. but three tricky challenges! This is poetry at its finest.
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Thanks! I admit I combine prompts for practical reasons because I don’t want to write *too* much poetry here. But I’m glad it resonated.
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Love your use of haunted and the way you have an exterior view and then an interior one. May your candle find a new flame in the days ahead.
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I almost put in something about looking in a mirror to keep playing on that interior/exterior but a) it felt a little cliche and more importantly, b) I couldn’t fit that into a 44 word poem. But I’m glad the interior/exterior tension came through.
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A great poem so nicely crafted! Time to get that cold wick lit! Inspiration is just around the corner! :>)
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Thank you! Yeah, I know it’s time to re-light the fire…
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:>)
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Wonderfully crafted!
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Thank you ❤️
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Perfectly crafted reflection of depression. It’s really hard to light up one’s life in these depressing times.
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Thank you. And yeah, it is difficult
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This feeling passes, even when it seems it never will. I say that just in case this is not just a poem.
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Thank you. It’s not *just* a poem, although I wasn’t in this state when I drafted this one. Still I appreciate your kind words. And I appreciate your prompt, even as my response went in this direction
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It can go in any direction that feels right to the author! I didn’t mean “just” in a diminishing way, sorry about that–I simply meant that some poems are inventions and one must not always assume they are autobiographical or true pictures of the author’s current feelings, though of course they may be. Love that you joined in!
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I know what you meant! And I’m sorry, my “*just*” came across in a passive-aggressive way and I didn’t mean that at all! We poet-bloggers wouldn’t be able to function without written communication, and yet, it has its pitfalls sometimes. I totally did not mean to be so passive-aggressive!
There is some autobiographical element to this, although I actually wasn’t in as dark a mindset when I wrote this as the poem might suggest. I do agree with you about never assuming autobiographical elements when reading a poem.
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Indeed,when depression haunts us,without a wick,we cannot light up our inner flame again! Wonderful poem. 🙂
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Yeah, some might think rekindling shouldn’t be so difficult, but it can be a challenge
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It’s all very good but I especially love the last line. Such a strong ending.
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My favorite line too. I knew I wanted to end on that note
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If it’s art for art’s sake, then kudos! If you are really feeling this way, then I hope it will pass soon.
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Thank you, for both sentiments
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I dunno how somebody without a spark can produce such poetry as yours.
❤
David
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Prompts and a supportive blog community go pretty far, actually ❤️
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A very strong finish to this worrisome poem.
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The last line was my favorite too. Thank you
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cleverness in action. I bow to you. xoxo
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“cleverness in action” – I like that, thank you
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You’re very welcome, of course. And please be well. Always sending you healing vibes. xoxo You are not alone. xoxo
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❤️
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Moving piece
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Thank you❤️
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So dark. Yet, I have a sense that you’re working it out. There lies the spark of hope.
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Trying to, at least. Actually, I wasn’t in as dark a mood when I wrote this as the poem might suggest, so there’s that. Thank you
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I love the deep metaphor you have used in this poem and the fact that you multitasked two prompts so wonderfully!
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A candle and a flame (or lack there of) is such an apt metaphor. I’ve done a couple other poems about candles with religious undertones (https://jewishyoungprofessional.wordpress.com/2021/05/06/shabbat/ and https://jewishyoungprofessional.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/havdalah/ respectively); this was a secular candle metaphor poem. Thank you for providing some of the prompt inspiration!
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Your words are definitely on fire. A cold and gloomy one. Great writing! 🙂
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Well, it is cold out. Someone needs to bring some fire, right? Thank you!
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I like the description of papier-mache mask. And for sure it’s difficult to get that spark lit when feeling gloomy. I know!
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Papier-mache was one of the words from Shay’s Word List prompt (https://fireblossom-wordgarden.blogspot.com/2022/01/word-garden-word-list-10-wallace-stevens.html) and I thought it was a good choice of word. It is definitely difficult to recapture that spark, no question!
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A poignant poem–the metaphor is apt–but hopefully something will come along to spark the candle so it burns brightly!
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Thank you for both sentiments
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You’re welcome!
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This must be fiction. Surely the poet is sparked!!!
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It’s a bit more autobiographical than I would have liked, but also with enough distance from the darkness to see that light is a possibility. I think I’m taking this metaphor a little far, but you get what I mean. Anyway, glad to hear you enjoyed!
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great winter existential poem! My heart goes out to this person.
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It does have that winter existential vibe. I think that general darkness of winter has everyone searching for a source of light.
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YES.
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So dark and depressing… I hope there is a flame somewhere, and remember it’s only in darkness the faintness of fireflies can be seen
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I hope so too
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This poem is very well expressed and relatable. Well done.
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Thank you – glad it came across
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I can understand the feeling of frustration in this poem. When the flame has been snuffed it is too difficult to exert the effort required to get it lit again
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Thanks – it is difficult
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Beautifully written ❤️
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Thank you
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You are most welcome ❤️
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Very well done, darling.
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Thank you ❤️
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You are most welcome.
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A desolate scene you paint! Spring is just around the corner…
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I know. I did title this “depressionist-style” rather than “impressionist” for a reason!
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“it’s just so difficult
to care to rekindle
this wick when there’s no spark.”
i can relate to that. i like this. this poem is very concise and right to the point (as it should, who it that state would want to wax on and on) very well written
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Yep, exactly. If you don’t have a spark, there’s only so much you can say.
Also, one of the prompts I wrote this for had a 44 word limit
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ah, the 44 word poem at dverse, i forget what its called. very cool, i’m not very good and the smaller forms, but i’m working on it. again, enjoyed your poem
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We all have our poetic strengths. The killer lines you come up with in your poetry are just incredible. I’ve not gotten into writing longer form poetry myself, but I was recently at an open mic and everyone was reading this cool longer poems that were designed to be read aloud, so might be worth trying my hand at this at some point.
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yeah, give it a try, what could it hurt. to be honest with you, 30 years ago i hated poetry, it wasn’t until i heard poetry being read out loud that it really hit me. it was a whole dimension for me
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Good point. Poetic experiments are a pretty low-risk activity
Based solely on your avatar photo and the mental image I got reading your poetry, I didn’t even think you were old enough to hate poetry 30 years ago. Then again, I’m bad at guessing ages.
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sorry that photo is 20 years old, now it’s updated… and age is a mental thing, i’ll always be 25
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Hey, you can represent yourself however you want! My avatar is a dog, and I’m a human who doesn’t even really like dogs. Be that 25 year old who hated poetry 30 years ago. It’s all good.
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i was 20 when i hated poetry, let’s not add years, subtract sure, but let’s not add =)
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Well, now you’re putting me to shame with your honest avatar photo. I’m still keeping the dog image and lying about my age to anyone in offline life (except it’s getting harder when everyone younger than me keeps admitting to turning 30 and I’m still pretending to be 29 for the last 7 years), but now I feel a little more guilty about it.
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if you can pull off 29 then i say go with it, go with till to can’t. most people still guess my age between 35 and 40, and shocked when i tell them i’m 50
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Eh, I can’t actually pull it off, to be honest.
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well, whether you can pull it off matters little, just be whatever age you want to be, that seems best i think
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Powerful–the extinguished feeling is a familiar one.
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Thank you! I think it is a familiar feeling generally, but also especially at this time of year.
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Nicely bringing together TSM and Word Garden. You have kindled the wick of words, and there is a flicker of light from them, even if they speak of darkness.
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Happy to hear that there is some light coming through.
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“Flame extinguished.”…This is such a difficult phase. A beautifully crafted poem.
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Thank you – yes, it is a difficult phase and feeling
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oh man when the lights go it it’s tough.. wishing you shivering nights.. 💖💖
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Thank you
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welcome!💖
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Beautiful Poem, JYP.
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Thank you🥰
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Gosh, you are popular. I had to scroll such a long way down to say anything. I love your tag line. and thank you for reading me -that’show I got to you in the first place. Great work.
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Thank you! I’m not usually this popular, to tell the truth. I think negative self-esteem resonates with a lot of people (unfortunately) so people found something relatable here. What is poetry if not to illuminate something that resonates through the use of imagery and language? It is a pleasure to meet you.
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Thank you – and you!
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