Torment

Not Another Brick In The Wall

Photo by Daniel Jensen on Unsplash

When you don’t want to move
The way the world moves
Though you know
That’s where salvation lies
That’s the space
Where you’ll be accepted.

When you’re tired of making
The same old noises
For the same old reasons
When all you want to do
Is to crash and burn,
Hit and run
Slay…

I get tired sometimes
Of saccharine platitudes
Cloying cliches
‘Let’s all run in one direction’
‘Let’s all hold hands’
‘Let’s grin and bare it’
Or ‘bear it’
Whatever.

And I am grinning,
smiling,
baring,
bearing
When all I want to do
Sometimes,
To relieve the pressure
Is punch in a face
Gouge out an eye
Disembowel a gut
Wrench out an arm
Or leg
Vent abuse
Rant and rave
Sear and storm
Screech and shriek

And then perhaps
Perhaps
This rage will quieten
Soften
Break
Dissipate
Dissolve.

And I can be
Once again,
What the world thinks
I am.

ⓒ 2023 Suma Narayan. All Rights Reserved.

Written in response to Chelsea Marie’s prompt, ‘Resolutions’

Poetry Writing Prompts — Week Two

Shoutout to Thief who has stated that he loves ‘torment’, and to his pithy, passionate, punny, potent poetry:

The Ways to Your Heart

Shoutout to Connie Song for this piece of piercing intensity:

Bite Me with Your Sting of Poetry