Reassessing poems on Hello Poetry

Nat Lipstadt Mar 2019

letter to elana

for the poet elana bell

~

in a different cafe,
on a Manhattan streetscape where once, years earlier,
violence was the purview of West Side Story gangs,
ruling their internecine non-intersectionality territorial blood lines supremely

nowadays, violence replaced by the frenetic
noises of Lincoln Center theater goers,
student dancers, actors, musicians and poets joining the throng
of those who sup and run,
all hearing their own frantic
curtain calling, saying, announcing,
music dance voices words require your obeisance,
needy for a mutual worshipping reassurance fiat that:

life can be made transcendent
if even for just 90 minutes or 120 pages,
or a 3 minute poem reading

this city of millions requires billions of poems that spoon stirred
and yet, almost always fail, to squeeze, all of the human essence that is in its ultimate source, clarifying nyc tap water,
containing the storied remnants of a hackable continuous,
single human stanza cell osmosis - a blockchain like no other

two poets sit side by side each in their own lapsed dreams,
she, a published poet of prize and rank, ^
he, a rank amateur whose only prize is his unpublished anonymity,
poetry, is his just a nightly soul cleansing,
an imported remnant of his Marrano piyyutim ancestry

one turns to the other,
in the inexplicable daily crazy miracle
of city fashionistas

in a city where stealing a parking spot, or the
forced squeezing creation of a subway seat space
where physics proves none exists,
are oft the roots of slashing and stabbings faithfully reported
on the 11 o’clock news,
and trust and/or other encouraging words
are seldom heard and even less demonstrated,
the make-no-eye-contact of Camus’s L’Etranger anomie is the
normative, paranormal, paralysis cloak of we city separatists

“Can you watch over my electronics and stuff?”

Sure says the grayed and grizzled,
an all life long veteran of nyc,
judged to be trustworthy
based on a few seconds of being upsized and downsized,
a car wash (exterior only) perusal
despite a
“no direction home, like a compete unknown, a rolling stone,”
this signage, yellow star permanently chest-affixed,
conveniently ignored, as it seems impossible
thieves don’t look like me,
don’t likely in their possess,
a distinguished head of gray hair (yeah, sure)

a thank you reward of (or did I imagine it) a lean-in,
a momentary head on a shoulder,
the chit chat now grows earned and earnest,
she confesses her cardinal poetry profession,
eliciting an ‘Oh Boy’ utterance from the poet
of a thousand names
and a thousand textual emendations

a fastidious nyc boundary is brief crossed for one short meal,
till the end when time sensitized IMRL intrudes and
the showtime calls out,
if not now, when? if not me, then who?

I read her poetry later in the praying supine first position of
three AM, and laugh with delight, at the contrast and no compare,
the styles clash and tho the stories told
are both writ in the aleph bet script,
there ends the Ven diagram overlap and
into the night’s coming of a Elvisian blue suede coverlet,
we both disappear, and if not for this recording,
history says, you old man confused, never happened,
just an imaginary poetry ink blot dream breaching...

~

postface:
another poetry book is no longer homeless,
comes to shelter upon my shelf, close to Angelou, far from Whitman,
now all the book’s nooks eyes collectively
reassessing the new old-owner, parsing his syntax,
undecided if his readership is worthy of them,
concluding that all these books are the
man’s owned roughened stones,
to be placed by human hands on the
serpentine curvature of his literary tombstone,
and until all stones fully read,
they all agree,
will they and he
be fully freed,
smoothing his legacy’s edges

Feb. 21 -March 5, 2019
NYC
another true story

^ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elana_Bell

#letter #to #elana #bell

The Elitist Aug 2010

The Awakening

A time comes in your life when you finally get it. When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out ENOUGH!  Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on and, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.  You realize that its time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon.  You come to terms with the fact the he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world there arent always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter).  And that any guarantee of happily ever after must begin with you, and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect, and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are and its OK.  (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.)  And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself, and in the process a sense of newly found confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop whining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didnt do for you) and you realize the only thing you can count on is the unexpected.  You learn that not everyone will always be there for you, and that its not always about you.  So, you learn to take care of yourself and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers, and you begin to accept people as they are, and to over look their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche.  And you begin to sift through all the junk youve been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you shouldnt weigh, what you should wear, where you should shop, what you should drive, how and where you should live, what you should do for a living, who you should sleep with, who you should marry, what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children, or what you owe your parents.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view.  And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing, and you begin to discard the doctrines and values youve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with, and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.  You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility, and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.  You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry, and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love.  Romantic love and familial love.  How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away.  You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship.  You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable, or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name.

You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be.  You stop trying to control people, situations, and outcomes.  You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love.  And you learn that you dont have the right to demand love on your terms just to make you happy.  And, you learn that ALONE does not mean lonely.

And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you stack up.  You also stop working so hard at putting feelings aside, smoothing things over, and ignoring your needs.

You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK . . . and that it is your right to want things that you want.  And that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.  You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity, and respect and you will not settle for less.  And you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you, to glorify you with his touch.  And in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect.

And you learn that your body really is your temple.  And you begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water, and taking more time to exercise.  You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear, so you take more time to rest.  And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul, so you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve.  And that much of life is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for, and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen.  More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success, you need direction, discipline, and perseverance.

You also learn that no one can do it all alone and its OK to risk asking for help.  You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time:  FEAR itself.  You learn to step right into and through your fears, because you know that whatever happens you can handle it, and to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.  You learn that life isnt always fair, you dont always get what you think you deserve, and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people.  On these occasions you learn not to personalize things.  You learn that God isnt punishing you or failing to answer your prayers.  Its just life happening.  And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state the ego.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected, or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.  You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.  Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself, and you try to make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your hearts desire.  And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.  And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can

James Court Jul 2017

Reassessing

perhaps I need to
take a deep gulp of air to
help my pride go down

#swallow #pride #moving #on

Matt Revans Oct 2015

It's Not An 'F' In Lie ~ It's Life!!.

A time will come
in your life when something will wake you

and your fears
and insanity will finally forsake you.

You stop dead in
your tracks and somewhere the voice

inside your head
cries out… ENOUGH! Just rejoice!

Enough fighting
and crying and constantly blaming

and struggling to
hold on, and senselessly shaming.

Then, like a
child quietening down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears

and begin to look
at the world through new eyes, without fears.

This is your
awakening, you realise it’s time to stop hoping

and waiting for
something to change, whilst you’re barely just coping,

or for happiness,
safety and security to magically appear

over the next
horizon at which you anxiously peer.

You realise that
in the real world there isn’t always a fairy tale ending,

and that any
guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with self-mending.

And in the
process a sense of serenity is born, but not by de rigueur,

You just awaken
to the fact that you don’t perfectly configure.

That not everyone
will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are

And that’s OK,
for they’re entitled to their own views and opinions, you’ve got here so far.

You learn the
importance of loving and championing yourself, and start the removal,

of outmoded
behaviours, in order to process a sense of new found self-approval.

You stop
complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you,

or didn’t do for
you – for only thing you can count on is the unexpected, ain’t that true!

You learn that
people don’t always say what they mean, or mean what they say,

and that not
everyone will always be there for you anyway,

and everything
isn’t always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own two feet

and to take care

of yourself… for you are actually
complete.

And in the process
a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging
and pointing your finger in defiance.

You begin to
accept people as they are and start to overlook

their
shortcomings and human frailties, don’t live by THAT book.

And in the
process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open
up to different points of view whilst not making them your business.

You begin
reassessing and redefining,

smudging your
edges; perceptions realigning.

Distilling who
you are at your core.

Titrating what
you really stand for.

You learn the
difference between wanting and needing

and throw out childhood
schemas from psychological spoon-feeding.

You begin to
discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown,

or should never
have bought into to begin with, but in your youth you were shown.

You learn that
there is power and glory in contributing and creating,

and you stop
maneuvering through life merely as a consumer, unsatisfied and berating.

You learn that

principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a
bygone era,

but the mortar

that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life to hold
dearer.

You learn that
you don’t know the answers to any and everything,

it’s not your job
to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing.

You learn the
only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry

and that martyrs
get burned at the stake, regardless of whether or not you do tarry.

Then you learn
about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are

and not as you
would have them be; for they will hurt and scar.

You learn that
‘alone’ does not necessarily mean lonely.

You stop trying
to control people, situations and outcomes, and thinking ‘If Only!’

You learn to
distinguish between responsibility and guilt,

And the

importance of setting boundaries and learning to say ‘NO’, when ‘YES’ is
inbuilt.

You also stop
working so hard at putting your feelings aside,

Or smoothing things
over and ignoring the resentment inside.

You learn that your
body really is your temple, and finally select,

to care for it,
and treat it with love & respect.

You begin to eat
a balanced diet, drink more water, and take exercise.

You spirit starts
to soar, which should come as no real surprise.

You learn that
being tired fuels doubt, uncertainty and fear

so you take more
time to rest and be with the people you hold dear.

And, just as food
fuels the body, laughter fuels the soul.

So you take more
time to laugh and to play, and make joy your goal.

You learn that,
for the most part, you get in life what you deserve,

and that much of
life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy, which will unfold without reserve.

You learn that
anything worth achieving is worth working for,

and that wishing
for something to happen is different than making it happen; for sure.

More importantly,
you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction,

discipline and
perseverance, but most importantly, self-affection.

You learn that no
one can do it all alone,

and that it’s OK
to risk asking for help and sharing your zone.

You learn the
only thing you must truly fear is fear itself,

For you learn to
step right into and right through your fears and not hide them on some shelf

In the recesses
of your mind.

You treat
yourself well, treat yourself kind.

Because you know
that whatever happens you can handle those fears

As the fire in
you burns brighter with the passing of your years

For to give in to
fear is to give away the right

to live life on
your own terms, filled with much love and light

You learn to
fight for your life and not to squander your hours,

living under a
cloud of impending doom which will sprinkle you with its showers.

You learn that
life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve

and that

sometimes bad things happen to good people whose fate you are unable to
preserve

and you learn not
to always take things so personally, or let your pride be so bruised.

You learn that
nobody’s punishing you and that you are not always being abused.

It’s just life
happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong

and to build
bridges instead of walls, from which you can sing your life’s message all along.

You lean that
negative feelings must be understood and redirected

or they will

suffocate the life out of you and the universe which will just become more
infected.

You learn to be
thankful and to take comfort in the many different gifts

That we the lucky
ones possess in this world of deep rifts,

things that
millions of people upon the earth would love to have just for one hour:

a full
refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin
to take responsibility for yourself,

by yourself, and
you make yourself

a promise to
never betray yourself

and to never,
ever settle for less than you heart’s desire and good health.

You make it a
point to keep smiling, to keep trusting,

and to stay open
to every wonderful possibility in this life which is there for the lusting.

Finally, with
courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath,

and you begin to
design the life you want to live as best as you can, to the death.

Matt Revans
©Copyright

tortilla Dec 2017

The Easy Life

Having people who understand is new for me
There are people in my life who care about how I feel
It's odd, it makes the bad days not so bad when someone is aware
Life seems easy when with people who are there to help you heal

But I'm learning every blessing comes with a burden
And we all know that out of the two, I was never the blessing
This gift that I have cherished so much is just hidden poison
I see now this bond is bound to hurt one of us as I'm reassessing

I wish I didn't always see, but time and time again I realize
All I do in your lives is break and burden and continue disjoint
Because though I love you and I wish I could feel safe in that fact
Life was so much easier when I didn't have people to disappoint.

Life seems easy when with people who are there to help you heal
Life was so much easier when I didn't have people to disappoint

#life #disappoint #burden #help #healing

Shobhit Apr 2018

The fine line...

You are "DEPRESSED" when you still have

" the inexhaustible willpower to fight back every time you are lost in the abyss of all possible existential threats"

If not then you are CLINICALLY DEPRESSED.

You are STRESSED when

"You are mentally torn into pieces, loathing everything in the world and still love yourself. you know you can resurface anytime.
All you need is spend some hours, maybe days in solitude, talking to yourself, reassessing and coming back with a better plan."

If you cannot, then you are CLINICALLY STRESSED.

#depression #antidepressants #selflove

wichitarick Aug 2016

A NEW VEIW

Resolutions floating freely in revolutions,swiftly passing awaiting to grasp.

Fixing without fixating,able to hope to be stable is enough to lay on the table .

Same situation with a similar picture then why do we feel the play needs to be recast ?

Sitting in the chair catching a familiar glare,another day of staring at the old maple.

Finished with reassessments, why make so many changes  if they really won't last?

Fresh surveillance  finds unfinished fun, another race to run, more ways to be playful.

Held back when once so strong, needing to make right the wrong from a stained past.

Spatial mind not yet blind ,reassessing constantly not comfortable with becoming glacial

Crack from the door same illumination on the floor ,begging how quick will it be dashed?

Stepping out never knew it could be hard, wanting to follow a new path not to be fatal

Faded observations through mesh of screen fledgling emotion now seen not to be mashed

Needing new perspectives ,gaining power  & insights with my new view  no longer askew , will try to remain grateful.R.C.

Popular or dare easy thoughts of people looking out the same window ,door,but looking for new ideas? maybe time to move the desk to the kitchen :) but is partially on looking for thought with a poor memory.
Thanks for reading, any input is appreciated. "Peace Takes Practice" Rick

bcb Mar 2020

The Old Mind & The Young Thinker .17

After deep observation, it was the old mind that spoke first to the young thinker,
“Why is it that you periodically pardon yourself from this reality in which we harbor?”

The young thinker, entertained with this interposing notice, introduced his perception of this particular act of reservation and detachment. As such an act of consideration, left restrained is a sense of why.

As he does, the young thinker spoke,
“It is upon my fair and conscious decipherment that this reality surely prevails despite my absence. Though my unceremonious naïveté may have coaxed my mind into the notion that the genuine functionality of this existence bids no satisfaction or blossoming in conjunction with my vacancy; I know better than to revel such a thought. From myself, have I withheld the truth of the matter, but no longer shall that be. This pivotal revelation preeminent to reassessing my proper call to reason. Why am I here? May I enduringly unify my will to my why.”

The old mind, bolstered in comprehension and for a moment, rested, understood this why.

be well,
bcb

this piece was originally going to be called "the young mind & the long thinker"

#knowledge #thoughtprovoking #thought #observation #reflection

Classy J Feb 2018

Mindstate

Mindstate
Dispensary disciplinary disputes which dejectes rejects and may later hold regrets. Reflecting and replaying memories of times long past, reassessing and no longer retreating away and maintaining a security vest. Because my insecurity stems from immaturity which I stuff down and drown out with Hennessy, and just because I’m classy doesn’t mean I can’t falter from uncertainty. Causing a shift in time, causing a rift with all my relationships so I gotta pull out the wine. Daily cycles of addiction and because I’m used to doing it I have no control or restriction. Pills running deep, heart wanting to sleep, dreams of me on my death bed where I see everybody I know weep. Is that snow? Oh no that’s ******* my main, and it’s the finest in the game. Ok take a breath man, you look like death man for to beat this **** you need to find a helpful method man. Because I don’t want you to turn into a **** head man, for you weren’t built for this so better get your **** together man. Pain will be bearing down but don’t let it bring you down man, and when depression comes at you better hit it low hit low hit it low and then hit high hit it high hit it high man. Get yourself a game plan man, and I know things seem impossible but you got to overcome the odds like a blind man playing piano man. It’s a wonder Stevie that you don’t see your blessings, because it easy to see the flaws but trust me you gotta look for those few successes. Chasing liquor, chasing change, pulling a fast one on ya like I’m bilbo with my magical ring. Bumping to wu tang, listening to each bar letting it sit in my membrane. Living my life so arbitrary, yeah I ain’t some ordinary Gary, and I’m always looking through the dictionary for new vocabulary. Rap is my sanctuary so that must make me a missionary, and it’s my mission to keep it real and make the most of living in this purgatory. Got a lock on my target, for I got a dream in my pocket that I won’t simply forget. Writing some of my bars in my therapy sessions, for I still have evil within and in desperate need for a exorcism. Hope I don’t get sent to the psych ward, or get the electric chair because I’m opinionated and stubborn for I love doing things deemed tricky or hard. The mind state of a broken soul, and I forget it all by watching a stripper work a pole. Mind state of a kid born already starting at a disadvantage, for I’m just a uncivilized savage to most privilege folk who can’t see me for me cause they were born with an advantage. Mind state that has chosen to overcome and help people understand, mind state with a premonition that I will solve this problem as long as others are willing to take a stand.

matthew scott harris Nov 2018

Mein Das-Stilled Vintage Spirits Score-Hitched...

From Bottled Up Rage
Daily app pair rent
     revelation, observation, and
     intimation invariably concludes,
     this aging baby
     boomer (albeit youthful)
     inescapably lock up
     (until death me part)
     inside complex edifice

     re: guarding self made trap
rocketing into orbitz
     of mine twilight years thrusts,
     upon this pop (sic) crack
     **** forcibly to snap
attention back into
     the present, yet unable
     to shake off feeling dismayed,

     viz hit ting head
     with bleak recap
cha regular basis finds me
     reassessing, reliving,
     and reviewing
psychologically pock
     marked scarred
     psyche indelibly mapped

e'er since this narrator hapt
     tubby a little boy at
     tender preschool age
his esprit de corp
     joie de vivre analogous
     to a rat locked
     in an undersize invisible cage
devoid of emotional, physical,

     and spiritual equipage
with 20/20 hindsight, I attest,
     he seemed bereft
     of empathy gauge
as attested by donning
     slovenly swiftly tailored,
     unkempt harried styled
     appearance, a foiled image

that any stranger, family
     member, or classmate
     could discern, sans
     intuitive knowledge
     Hawaii didst poorly manage
thyself and island
     did self smoldering
     wool worth deadly sabotage!

Nathan Ghostkeeper Feb 2020

because i said so, nothing is to doubt

words ignite fire the flames burn to the ground
my words are desire my spells cast around
deceptivly inviting they all will follow me
creatively enticing as they wait in captively
word is then delivered with form from which we fight
always reassessing if they will or they might
fall to the unknown and  intention never shown
I take the rest from here your add a Lil fear
imperfectly unappeased I turn into the disease
you only give your sense to fake self-confidence
the maybe is the might that  "want to" cannot fight
even out for yourself  keel over from good health
calling on creation is to save you from the pain
discomfort shapes experience as your mindfully insane
shifty shady maybe I am without a doubt
you never need to know why  n who or what about
knowing is the burden when you really don't know ****
the factoid is the cherry on the cake that you don't get
confuse them as i simplify, you live a lie with no regret

Evan Stephens May 2019

Laying Here

Long morning
chopped with sleep
drifts into a long
afternoon, also
chopped with sleep.
Evening brings
similar promises.

Some Sundays
take you in the
teeth and never
let you go.

A day for a lonely
cigarette in the yard,
for looking into the
mirror and reassessing,
for watching the trees
waving each to each.

Not much else now
but to take the little
pills and wait
for tomorrow.

— The End —