Stroke the tiger according
to the direction of his pelt
Kiss the hand and the ruby ring
like all the cowards who knelt
Polish the blade and varnish the sheath
unbutton your shirt and let him whip you
Bid your time till he's upon his last breath
wait until he's too weak to strike you
then say:"Just because I worship you
It doesn't mean I like you."
Always slither, never fight
How do you sleep at night?
Mae/Adam
'but often there is a lesson and poem somewhere in that'
There is a poem in anything (if you can't see it tell your muse to get off her backside and not be so lazy).
You may not believe this coming from someone who doesn't care what others think. But I struggle at times (self doubt?) What will others think of this, ergo, me? Am I game enough to push the boundary this far? (Thalia-my muse, is saying "go for it Don. Be a devil". Shit! Thalia, you trying to get me chucked off WOL?).....
I have asked myself that question many times...Happiness or true inspiration? I have never been able to choose.. I'm afraid I'm completely drained at the time...Right about now I'd trade all the peace in the world for some poetry but I'm afraid I don't even have that peace to begin with! The storm in my brain is raging but no poetry comes out of it. I pray that it will pass.
Thank you Adam! ?
Mae
Yes Mae...
I get the self-doubt perspective. It seems perpetual and universal, at least among the creative. I was just wondering this morning if I would trade my poetry for peace and I really don't know. Certainly there is an occasional intensity of feeling that I sincerely wish I was not feeling but often there is a lesson and poem somewhere in that.
Hope you are well and I look forward to your next entry.
Thank you Adam for revisiting! It would be alright even if you didn't like my poem my friend, no worries! Maybe the language I use falls short in this piece. Maybe it sounds ambiguous, if I understand correctly your impression was that it's not clear whether I a)usher the reader to submit to the despot until the despot is weak and then betray the despot
b)I accuse the reader for doing all that...
Do I have it down right?
Here's how it is. Neither. The person speaking in first person is addressing himself and his comrades. The victims of tyranny think the only way to survive is to obey and suck up to him. Appeasement! Everybody around him are doing that, including himself. And he gets mad about it. As for the "wait till he's upon his last breath" part that's merely a possible outcome, a foreboding, something that he foresees happening if he and the others don't do something soon to change things. Something that has happened before perhaps by cowardly powerless victims like him.
And he just doesn't like it... Which causes him even more distress... He's trapped and having a moment of self-loathing, anger towards himself and the others around him doing the same and maybe he is befoere an awakening. Clearer now?
Anyway, thank you for liking and reading and commenting dear Adam! ?
Mae
Mae
I feel perhaps I was not strong enough in saying how much I liked the poem. I have reread it now several times and I agree that I brought to it to much of reading it as a set of instructions that I wanted to follow but could not rather than as the fine print warning of potential error or danger.
Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment Raj! I'm not familiar with your work, I will stop by your profile though, welcome back!
Thank you ?
Mae
I used the live here once Mae but then went away to go within and find that better version of myself.
And hey, am I glad I'm back? I feel nourished by poems like this.
I'm going to make it a point to read your work Mae. Lovely concept.
Raj
I used the live here once Mae but then went away to go within and find that better version of myself.
And hey, am I glad I'm back? I feel nourished by poems like this.
I'm going to make it a point to read your work Mae. Lovely concept.
Raj
Hello all! Thank you all for taking the time to read!
Adam, you are being neither encouraged nor discouraged. When I write "stroke, kiss, caress" etc it's not an imperative form. Perhaps it's misused...
My intent wad to expose a situation. A trap that even the brave ones get caught in sometimes. There's no lesson to be learnt here. Just an ugly situation brought out in the open! Thank you for seeking deeper understanding, never apologize for that!
Jason, that's exactly my point. It happens to everyone. I'm not pointing fingers, as I explained to Adam. If anything it comes from rather an inner dialogue as many of my poems do. And if it's anything it's self-critical. Thank you for the constant support my friend!
Thank you all friends ?
Mae
I can't tell what I am being encouraged or discouraged from doing here. Is it...I will only appear as subservient while I wait to take away what you really want, my affection? Or is it...that if I do act the coward then I am a snake and my shame stops my rest. I just wasn't sure but was sure that it made me think about my response to despots large or small and that I really liked the last two lines. Always like to read your work.
I often feel that I am not completely consistent in the message of my imagery...I asked about what readers thought the purpose was I alluded to in Thank You and there were definitely different answers. So as always forgive if my comments seek deeper understanding.
Adam
"Stroke the tiger according to the direction of his pelt," something we've all done and continue to do, we're just uncomfortable admitting it because we like to think we're braver. But for the most part we're not. Kissing hands and ruby rings, opening shirts to be whipped. We'd all like to be braver, but when you're stroking a tiger you understand the truth about bravery, it's rare.
I loved this Mae, when it comes to poetry you have my worship and liking.
J. x
Thank you Keith?I appreciate it!
Mae
A well thought out and constructed poem. I enjoyed this
Thanks
Keith
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Mae Foreman
Mon 19th Aug 2019 14:56
Adam, yes there is a poem (and to my little experience any piece of writing, story, novel, limerick) in everything and anything! The self doubt, the moroseness, the intensity are just all part of the creative process.
Don, listen to your muse! If you keep that delicate balance, which you already do, between being a free spirit and an empathetic, humane, tactful person which you already are, I see no reason why you shouldn't follow Thalia's advice!
Thank you gentlemen ?
Mae