He Once Ceased To See The Colors Poem by Rod M.Peters
He Once Ceased To See The Colors
He once ceased to see the colors
And the lights
And the glimmering of the sea
And the sparkle in the eye.
Rainbows cracked and fell down
And the din of the crashing shards
Left him deaf overnight.
He learned to paint shadows
In the dirty canvas
Of a strained mind,
Immersed in a pool of silence.
Prolific shades of despondency
Discoloring all dawns.
And the only voice that broke in
Through the brittle hull
Whispered, confiding in him:
‘Strip all the layers off,
Dig into the virgin soil,
Pull at the cord fastening
All the faint echoes
Of the Sacred Poem.'
Life did strip him to a heap
Of bleached bones
Gathered in a burlap sack
By a sulky interloper,
Dragged along unholy ground,
Bartered for moonshine.
Then and only then,
Emptying the cup
Of overflowing self-pride,
He began to hear echoes alright,
Wild dogs encroaching on
Suburban sprawls
That hounded him through
Viscous alleyways,
Assailed and gripped him
With forceful intent
And tossed him to the ground
There to lie helpless,
All cries smothered under
A pall of regretfulness,
Till he began to hear
The faint sound of distant music
And a chorus of soft voices.
All he can do now
Is strive to make out the words.
Dang! ! ! ! I may not read again (or may) , I mean again, after nearly 4 years, as i see I 'loved' it before, and....
Ah well, that's what makes the whole effort worth it. You're most welcomed!
Swell! And now it's even a Wow, with capital w, or was that a typo?
Good writ, creative writing... It paints a great picture of perseverance+10
Thanks Kyvin. Yes, perseverance, and also an attempt to suggest that true poetic creation can only spring from a state of 'moral bankrupcy'. Life may seem to treat you badly when it's perhaps only giving you grist for your mill.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/5/2025 3:59:17 AM # 1.0.0
wow! for keeping my attention, having no errors which i've spied, making the 'action' flow like hot honey, and.... keeping me awake a bit longer! ! ! to MyPoemList. very fanciful stuff, a bit edgy***? i got the distinct impression that someone has been having life problems, and you (or someone/something) eventually is trying to assist the fellow or gal. he, too, is on the edge, but in his case it is the edge of rescue or doom. i really don't want to read it again, because: 1- i don't want to take the chance of ruining how good i feel about the poem NOW, and 2- i want/should go to bed soon, but i want to read one by Simone Inez Harriman, and... 3- there IS a library book (novel) which is WAITING patiently for me to finish it! ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ***definition #2: Search Results Dictionary edg·y ˈejē/ adjective adjective: edgy; comparative adjective: edgier; superlative adjective: edgiest 1. tense, nervous, or irritable. he became edgy and defensive synonyms: tense, nervous, on edge, anxious, apprehensive, uneasy, unsettled; More twitchy, jumpy, keyed up, restive, skittish, neurotic, insecure; irritable, touchy, tetchy, testy, crotchety, prickly; informaluptight, wired, snappy, strung out everyone was edgy as the deadline approached antonyms: calm (of a musical performance or a piece of writing) having an intense or sharp quality. 2. informal at the forefront of a trend; experimental or avant-garde. their songs combine good music and smart, edgy ideas synonyms: cutting-edge, on-the-edge, fringe, avant-garde, innovative, original, offbeat; gritty an edgy new novel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - to MyPoemList bri :)
Always good to hear your comments and, yes, this struggling poet has found himself in dire straits before, pushed, as it were, to the proverbial “edge” by a complete physical-health breakdown, and poetry has done more than its share in helping with the bounce back! Highly recommended therapeutic for young and old.