Sunday, September 20, 2009

the song in his heart























The accessories of his life,
chosen with care
and displayed with precision,
by him, the creator.
Chosen words uttered with confidence,
seemingly careless, they’re tossed to ears
willing to listen, willing to hear,
of that which he’s built,
what he’s achieved.
And he breathes in the envy,
the applause in their eyes,
which keeps him going
day after day, to do it again,
maintain the pretense
of this empty stature,
that’s taken up so many yesterdays.

Yet in moments unguarded,
shadows dart across those eyes,
unwelcome and unwanted.
The loss of a freedom
he’s taken to ignore,
that he’s managed to still,
but not forgotten.
The dreams of a child,
of a growing man,
when desires still fed his soul.

For now he’s torn
between the prestige
and the will of his own recklessness,
which only comes to him
when his head is at rest on his pillow
and his mind is free to lead him down roads,
where the doors are ajar and not closed
by his own restraint,
responsibilities weightless behind his shut eyes.

For as he stands, momentarily alone,
while the notes of the blues guitar
sings the song of his heart,
that takes him back to a simpler life,
to the start of his road
with his dream of fast cars,
the only luggage,
his beat-up guitar.




48 comments:

  1. "For now he’s torn
    between the prestige
    and the will of his own recklessness,
    which only comes to him
    when his head is at rest on his pillow
    and his mind is free to lead him down roads,
    where the doors are ajar and not closed
    by his own restraint,
    responsibilities weightless behind his shut eyes."

    Powerful Shadow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. He should be happy with what he's got, even if it's just an old guitar.

    Count your blessings...

    I loved this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Life Here and life There, but he is both... so is everyone of us. Some have a guitar, some a blog... (?)
    How Beautiful sweet Shadow

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoyed your poem, and it made me think about my own past.

    John DeFlumeri Jr

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is only in divesting the baggage acquired over a life time looking for success and control that we find our true power.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My oh my....another time you left me breathless!

    Beautiful...most beautiful. [can a man be beautiful with just a ratty ol' guitar?! Yes...with our dear Shadow...anything is possible!!]

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shadow-there he goes, playing star again. there he goes, turn the page. I loved this. Different from what I'm used to from you. A brilliant description of a beast that feeds itself but can never be satisfied. ~rick

    ReplyDelete
  8. i prefer to do not judge here , it is all human , right ?
    once again you wrote a incredible one !!
    see you dear shadow !!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shadow, this is my favorite. Ever. It captures so much, so perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Most of us have these 'What if?' moments from time to time.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a beautiful song !! I loved this one..Thanks for sharing..Unseen Rajasthan

    ReplyDelete
  12. The secret is not getting what we want, but wanting what we got! Great message Shadow...and written so beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Another master piece with not only rich in content but also well crafted with beautiful words. Shadow.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Awesome picture for this post!!
    We all need to remember from whence we came, yes? For someone with many responsibilities and status to keep, it would be giving up some freedom and a much simpler life. Lots of us sing the blues once in awhile before we remember how we are blessed, even if we only have a little bit, it is a blessing. Very good writing, Shadow. Did I mention I really like the photo?????

    ReplyDelete
  15. we have a way of encumbering our lives in such a way that it squeezes out the real living we always dreamed of. wonderful piece.

    ReplyDelete
  16. oh this touches such a truth, shadow. to me it tells a story poetically of how there is ppotential of sacrifice in every success, a map of humanness and the two sides of every coin

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great poem. I have something for you on my blog. Please come pick it up when you have a chance.

    - JB

    ReplyDelete
  18. The thought that jumped swiftly into my head as I read your poem was "Death by EGO".

    PG

    ReplyDelete
  19. Heck, I've got a blog AND a guitar--well, a violin! The best of both worlds, friends! It translates to.............HAPPY!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ahem! I can relate to this one! Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  21. So powerful a message, told with fun. It puts me in mind of A Rebel Without a Cause.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am so glad I read you tonight. taking a little time out for myself to feel calmness. And here is this most beautiful write, one that is different from some you write. I think we need to know who we are, where we came from, we fail sometimes to appreciate what we have, that is life..


    We need this once in awhile to awaken us, to savour each moment, and not lose our identity or we void meaning.

    HUGS and ty so much for your comments today. Truly heartfelt. SMILES

    ReplyDelete
  23. thanks for stopping by my blog, Shadow. your comments are always appreciated. xx

    ReplyDelete
  24. For many, I am thinking *sigh*
    'Yet in moments unguarded,
    shadows dart across those eyes,
    unwelcome and unwanted'
    Very telling, you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thought-provoking, you're so good at doing that. Your posts always make me think.

    CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  26. One of my favorites. I can identify.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I know so many guys like that... To me, the choice would be simple - we have only one life! I've been struck by this reality so many times lately... Like never before. One life, no time to hold on to fake things.

    ReplyDelete
  28. His life has outpaced him.

    ReplyDelete
  29. powerful ... be careful what you wish for, everything has a price.

    smiles,

    ReplyDelete
  30. enjoyed this one miss shadow! hope we can catch up soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. I am completely in agreement with Saraha's comment. Very telling!

    ReplyDelete
  32. That is really excellent!

    Thanks for the comment on my garbage post! It started out as a total joke and then when I got done and read it I saw that it made some sense!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Oh, so beautiful Shadow! I'm finally getting myself back to writing this week. Doing some reading first, I've been out of the loop the last week or so.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I would take beat-up over prestige any day. I really enjoyed this look, Shadow. I wonder who he is? What he is to you?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Excelent poem, super.
    Why is it that guys are obsessed with cars, I could never understand that?
    Happiness is obtained by loving what you have and what you are, not by wanting something else neither by wanting to be somebody else. If you do not understand this, you will never be satisfied, happy and nothing will ever be enough.

    Excelent text shadow excelnt thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow... parts of this one really hit home for me.

    Powerful writing, indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  37. hope your day is blessed,
    i enjoyed this one,
    it's good to travel light - only a beat up guitar !
    your stuff is awesome -
    I love you!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow, profound always, but in the current economy, it hits a higher note.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks for coming by even when you do not post. Your comments always mean so much to me,Shadow dear.

    ReplyDelete