John Botterill

Strong Box

by John Botterill

Friday 4th March 2022 5:52 pm

Some challenges go too deep

For free verse expression or rhyme.

Too stark, too near the bone,

Too entangled amidst the rhododendrons

In the forests of my mind.

Too sensitive for public scrutiny.

I only reveal what I want you to see.

So, the distance is kept

Between you and me.

These words are a shield, a poetic device

Protecting my insecurity.

My poems are safe and anodyne,

The rhythms are breezy,

Everything’s fine.

I keep my truth in a strong, steel box,

Patrolled by guards

Secured by locks.

My greatest worries, guilts and fears

Will not stand the harsh light of day.

I conceal them with banalities

And lock them safely away.

This verse exudes generalities,

So I can heave a satisfied sigh.

I am hiding the key to my strong box

Way down deep, deep, deep down

Those secrets are mine

‘Til I die.

🌷(9)

◄ Merely a Player

'For mash get Smash' re-hash. ►

Comments

John Botterill

Sat 5th Mar 2022 22:41

Thanks MC. I can only agree with your sentiments. I suppose the poem is saying that the issues we most need to write about are those we are most likely to avoid.
Discretion versus valour, as it were.
I appreciate your contribution greatly 😊

M.C. Newberry

Sat 5th Mar 2022 13:42

Much to ponder here, in both the content of this poem and the
comments it created. I'm reminded of some lines seen in my
youth. -
Never let your friend your secrets know
For if your friend becomes your foe
Around the world your secrets go.
It is a fact of life that many things, including feelings and the circumstances that see their emergence, do change and we can
wonder how or why we said or acted as we did. A little self-examination and that old reliable called "discretion" is often wise.

John Botterill

Sat 5th Mar 2022 11:05

Aw, thanks, Julie.

What a lovely comment! I shall treasure it, from a fine poet like you. 😀
Just read your repost and I loved it!
You beat me to the punch by exactly a year haha!
There must be something about the ides of March?

julie callaghan

Sat 5th Mar 2022 10:10

I loved this one. Shared one of my old ones which is nowhere near as good but it reminded me of how I felt when I wrote it. 🙏

Spooky coincidence I have just checked and I posted it Saturday 6th March.

John Botterill

Sat 5th Mar 2022 09:07

Thanks Holden. Your comments are greatly appreciated. 😀

Holden Moncrieff

Sat 5th Mar 2022 01:12

A truly powerful poem, John! I loved the lines
"Too entangled amidst the rhododendrons
In the forests of my mind" 😊

John Botterill

Fri 4th Mar 2022 21:45

Thanks Ursula. I really appreciate your lovely comments. It means a lot. 😊

<Deleted User> (32907)

Fri 4th Mar 2022 18:23

Excellent poem, John. It really hits home. I like 'I keep my truth in a strong steel box, patrolled by guards, secured by locks'. Well done.

John Botterill

Fri 4th Mar 2022 18:12

Thanks Stephen. I really appreciate your kind comments. 😃I know that I self-censor which seals off areas which might enlighten readers more but would potentially have real-life consequences. I suspect other writers do the same, which is my point.

Thanks to Clare, Tom and Russell for the likes.

John Botterill

Fri 4th Mar 2022 18:07

Thanks Adam,
I am proud to have made you think! And you don't need to defend your position. Most confessional poetry is twaddle! I do confess though that this poem was partly inspired by your poem 'All contributions gratefully accepted' which made me think about the processes involved in creative writing. 👍

Stephen Gospage

Fri 4th Mar 2022 16:53

Good poem, John. It shows that your 'safe' and 'anodyne' poetry is in fact of the highest quality. I am not really one for pouring out my feelings either, although I don't mind other people pouring out theirs. Well, sometimes....

Adam Whitworth

Fri 4th Mar 2022 13:12

Ooh, this makes me think...

I've never been drawn to 'confessional poetry', not that I say (very often) it's tiresome juvenile twaddle. Do I need to defend my position here? Well, hey, it's not all about me. Of course, of course, but this poem does make me think...
and that's a good thing.

👍

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