Homework w/e 9th July - Me, myself and I

[Wendy Seddon]

Better late than never....right?

Me, myself and I

I seem to walk beside myself, I’m one with her and yet,
she doesn’t show the pain I feel, anxiety, regret.
I watch her in the mirror as she deftly tends her hair,
no sign behind that steady gaze that panic’s lurking there.

Outwardly she floats along on Wattle blossom wings,
I plod on right beside her with my yoke of sundry things
that lead me on through shady lanes while dreaming of the sun,
when she can stop pretending and we can again be one.

So light your yellow candles, be a beacon, let me see
your faith that I can be who you perceive of me to be.
Before I slip beneath the raging waters wild and black
Where ghosts of man’s iniquities await to launch attack.

It’s hard to tell just where she stops and just where I begin,
the me I show to others and the me who lies within.
I tell myself, drink deeply of the waters of belief,
to pull myself together - poise and pride be my new brief.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Good one Owly and you've used those prompts to very good effect ... nothing is set in concrete Mate - good to see you have a go at it

[Shelley Hansen]

Oh boy, Wendy - I really like this one!

I suppose it might be a feature of the baby boomer generation - but I was brought up not to wear my heart on my sleeve in public, as the saying goes. So sometimes I feel just like your poem says - that the "me" walking down the street is not the "me" inside. That doesn't necessarily mean that I am tormented inside - just hiding my true colours and showing my "public face" to the world.

Our department at work once did one of those personality assessment exercises - and after interviewing me and putting me through the paces, the assessor commented that my social skills were so well developed that it was hard to assess my inner thoughts and feelings. I guess my upbringing, combined with a lifetime in business and customer service, is good training for that! I don't think it is a bad thing to be trained in polite diplomacy. These days people spout it all out in its raw glory - no matter who they offend.

Your lovely poem reminds me of the song from Walt Disney's "Mulan" ...

"Who is that girl I see starting straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don't know? Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time? When will my reflection show who I am inside?"

Cheers
Shelley

[Neville Briggs]

Good effort Wendy. Ross might have you also tagged as a deep thinker

The apparent paradox of the visible body and the invisible person is something I think about.
One of the objections to the reality of God, is that God is not seen and that throws doubt on God's existence, but in fact as you have set out here we are also invisible. Our inner self that is.
And we only make visible the inner person if we choose to do so, and as Shelley has pointed out, it is even possible for us to hide the inner self if we choose.
I think that is one of the wonderful attributes of poetry, it is a means to reveal the inner self. The inner self can be a mystery to others and that is why poetry is useful with metaphor and figurative language, to reveal what might be otherwise inexpressible to others.
By the same token, God is invisible but revealed through written metaphor and the objective material cosmos that come from God's presence and activity. ( You wanted a sermon didn't you )

I might not agree with some of your " spiritual" elements but it works as a poem.

[Wendy Seddon]

Thanks girls...and thanks Nev.

Written in a moment of 'blah'.
Poetry is fantastic at making you see yourself!
I don't agree spiritually with everything I said either Nev!
Conundrum hey!

[Catherine Lee]

Loving this one Wendy...I always look forward to your different takes on the prompts, and read this one three times over. Totally agree with the others on the concept too, and the poignant truth of it goes straight to the heart. If that's your moment of 'blah'...well what can I say...go have some more! Really well done!

[Terry]

I also like it Wendy

Homework's a great platform to experiment - there's no restrictions, just free your mind and off you go.
I one wrote a homework poem called 'Who am I' not as good as yours though.

Terry

[Wendy Seddon]

Thank you all. I love to just start writing and see where I end up.
Amazes me too sometimes,

[Maureen K Clifford]

One never knows what path our muse will take Sometimes they seem to have a mind entirely of their own.