Ambivalence Poem by Valsa George
Ambivalence
I wandered looking for an Abel and a Cain
Finally the journey ended in me.
As honey in a bee's comb and venom in its sting,
From man's heart, spring nectar and poison
While being an incarnation of gentleness,
A sleeping dragon lies within.
Sometimes a thousand stars litter my sky
More often life darkens into a starless night
Even when a ray of goodness lights
There is an inner darkness that bites
The hands that are extended to embrace in love
Turn into tentacles that bind to choke
A saviour and an assassin cohabit in me
The sweetness shown is in stark contradiction,
To the daggers that are hidden within
Even when I ardently preach deliverance
I turn my face from the convulsions of grief
And laugh at another's punching pain
Sometimes I become an oasis
In the panting sterility of the desert
Sometimes a snare to trap the guileless
And pull them headlong into the abyss of death
From a fairy God mother, the transition
To an evil Witch is rather unpremeditated
How fast love thistles into hatred
And admiration stoops into jealousy
We have an erratic mindscape
That changes shape every now and then
When we speak of good and bad
Aren't we showing traits of both?
Thus we are walking contradictions
Of a Yin and Yang of no judicious proportion!
A wonderful poem, a true depiction of human mind that jumps from the good to the bad and vice versa. Reference to Abel and Cain is apt.'How fast love thistles into hatred And admiration stoops into jealousy'
Hearty congratulations Valsa for the publication of this poem in the international collection on Abel and Cain. You have very beautifully brought out the duality of nature -hero and villain- in each of us.This is I suppose human nature and no power can eliminate this.A poem full of deep meaning that every enlightened soul should read.
Congratulations on the poem's publication, it's well deserved! Hmmm, we have so many inherent contradictions within ourselves! You have explained some of those quite elaborately. Loved the comment of poetess @Mihaela Pirjol, some others' as well.
This poem, Valsa, brings up to me what Paul expresses in Romans 7. With your awareness of this shadow within, to use a Jungian term, I expect you will nourish that which is good and starve the other. As I hope and pray for myself, so for you, that we will hear from the Son of Man, well done! -Glen
2 - I, Bri, OF COURSE, never waiver from exceptional goodness in my sterling personality. bri :) P.S. For title, i'm not sure " ambivalence" is quite right, but another " bi" word may be, or maybe " contradictions" , which you used near poem’s end. I say “ambivalence” refers more to a way of thinking rather than acting.
1 - I had a bit of trouble with this, including some of the poem's structure, AND finding it (somewhat) difficult to picture Valsa as the dual personality. BUT, then, poets are not always writing about themselves, even though it sounds as if they are.
From man's heart, spring nectar and poison While being an incarnation of gentleness, A sleeping dragon lies within.... //... Yes, this is a reality and it separates us from animals. It is like having 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' syndrome built in within us. This is indeed an important poem about human nature. Thanks a lot.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/6/2025 8:45:29 PM # 1.0.0
We have an erratic mindscape That changes shape every now and then When we speak of good and bad Aren't we showing traits of both? Thus we are walking contradictions Of a Yin and Yang of no judicious proportion ALL MUST KNOW MIND AS SYNAPSES WHICH EVERY MOMENT CHANGE AND GROW SO SEEDS OF ALL KIND IN MINDS WE THOUGH OUR THOUGHTS SO SO WHY BLAME THE MIND ALONE WE ALL DON'T SEEM TO ANYTHING KNOW BUT FOR A POEM T IS A GOOD SUBJECT MA'AM
So true....! We all have an erratic nature which often comes to the surface in the form of good and evil! Thank you Poet Poet for your great response!