I don't normally write free verse, but tonight I felt like it so....

At last I fade away

At last I fade away;
My ingenious mind can no longer plug
These gaps inside the image of myself
With palatable platitudes.
The world leaks in, and by degrees
I must abandon hoarded vanity,
As each encrustation of my character
That once did glitter in protection
Is taken by the flood.
My domain decreases, and with each ripple
Of implacable reality
Another vulnerable flame will be extinguished.
I spread them out too thin, it seems;
I lit too many, seeking light
Yet not knowing how to build a lasting fire.
I should have stoked it for the warmth
Instead of for the flame.
And so the water rises;
And it is getting darker.
I will have to drown myself
Before I can breathe again.

My good advice, so well received,
By others who had more sense than I,
Is useless in my own defence.
I should never have taken up this armour
That whispers for enemies to come.
It looked so strong at the time, and how it shone!
It dazzled me with false stoicism.

What then shall I become,
Who had not more than distant promise
Endlessly postponed?
Shall I now submerge myself
In these chill waters?
There is a kind of peace at least ?
Ablution in mediocrity.
Or shall I find some meaner board
Upon which to cast myself adrift
Until I reach another fertile island of the soul
And burn it down to watch the inferno dance?

great poems guys... grr creative people-envious

bleh... i failed the poetry section in me Literature exam... badly... anyone a Frost fan or does everyone ignore poets like the Metaphysicals (john donne and crew) and other oldies?

I dunno

Back to my natural style again - that is to say, overly-fanciful and mired in pretension Still, it's a good message, I think...

Some Good Advice

Be mindful of your friends.
A stray remark, a scathing word
Though part in jest ? an outer garb
To hide some bitter fear repressed ?
May operate on thought unheard
And though you did not will the barb
It settles deep, and deeper rends
When later maudlin mind attends.
Then look you fast to make amends.
Be mindful of your friends.

But should you fear to do them harm
In some unguarded moment rash,
Thyself then mind; for fear of guilt
May make you like to be less kind
As well as cruelty abash.
Instead upon this mantra lilt:
Seek not salvation by retire
From sins unmeant and errors dire.
Dread yet the power that you wield
But know its complement revealed:
The self-same power lends you grace
To offer, as though in embrace,
Fond healing words, which shall protect
Your love from errors of neglect.
Though fell may fall a jealous slant
With wrath upon the innocent,
Fairer may bloom the honeyed plant
That grows from careless compliments.
Spread the soil with generous seeds;
Just one to thrive is all it needs,
For you can soothe much strife and pain
With balm from but a single grain.
The wise man thus his garden tends;
Be mindful of your friends.

And of those who are not your friends
Be mindful too; for friends unmet
Might bridge a path ?twixt me and you,
Where we may meet and sadness share
And in so sharing, joy beget.
Or yet might not; but still you?ll find
Some unexpected gem of care
In those you had not thought to mind.

And of those who inspire resent
Be mindful still; they are alike
To you and me ? they also thrill
To hopes and fears of fortune sent.
Though spite infests their face and form
It was not planned: they only meant
To carve some shelter from the storm.
Their lies are but the blacker part
Of shadows wherein all must dwell;
All evil was a child to start
Till innocence by hardship fell.
Though prudence wisely keeps you clear
Of these destructive spirits blind,
Do not dismiss the darkness drear
Of those who have no-one to mind.

For, separated but by circumstance,
We are all dreamers in a common trance:
A breath to fire each breaking day
And wind the witless world away.

Perhaps you could be more specific than "?" There are so many different possible "?"s that any answer would be guesswork.

Possible answers to possible questions:

• It's a poetry thread. That's why I'm posting poetry at the SnarkPit. Yes, it is weird. But so are lots of other things (like fishsticks and egg pasta and inflatable sheep).
• You need a very strong grasp of the English language to understand some of these poems (better than most English people, even). Since you're from Peru, perhaps there is a language barrier.
• There is no meaning of life. Sorry.

uhm, let me see.

1. wtf's weird about inflatable sheep?

2. only most?

3. only if there is no pi. and it's ok, it's not your fault.

it's 42

Bash... Makes you look really witty, or really stupid.