Introduction to Poetry Friday for November 15th, 2019.
Usually, my poems do not rhyme. I am very comfortable with that and often surprise the school children I’ve worked with on poetry when I tell them that poetry does not have to rhyme. But, the other night, while lying in bed, wide awake for two hours, I started a poem about insomnia – and at 2:30 in the morning, the poem just happened to rhyme. The first four stanzas are what I wrote while awake, finishing the remainder this morning. I’ve written on insomnia before, so this is just another addition to that subject.
The second poem I offer is about being brave enough to be a non-conformist, to not live in the box, but rather be successful living outside of it. I hope you enjoy both offerings today, Poetry Friday! For more poetry, please go to Michelle Barne’s Blog named Today’s Little Diddy where this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is being hosted!
Insomnia
Oh, insomnia, my old friend,
you’re back to visit me again.
I hope you do not stay too long,
for I really cannot stand your type of song.
Anxiety rides your coattails, too.
Just as I think my worries are few.
My slumber becomes burdened by what I cannot change.
But, I find myself climbing a whole mountain range.
Your arrival always comes in the wee dark hours,
when I should be dreaming of planting my flowers.
Alas, I cannot seem to keep you at bay,
fortunately, for me, long you do not stay.
I know in a night or two, you’ll tire of my resistant ways
and travel onward to another person who lays
Awake in the deep dark night,
ruminating about things that might cause fright.
Oh, insomnia, my old friend,
I wish you find no one and hope your travels will end.
Boundaries
Do you find yourself in a box?
How to get out you ponder as you eat your lox.
The box fits fewer than one might think,
Not everyone is the same, but that thought causes some stink.
To think we have different needs and ways,
causes work for some that make their nails fray.
To get out of the box, some must shut down
as in a restrictive space, one cannot crown,
the joy of their unique existence, and live their life unbound.
For out of the box, wings can be found,
to fly with the eagles instead of crawling on the ground.
The box has limits for all those who stay,
Close to its boundaries and do not stray.
But for those who choose to not be boxed in
your life can unfold and rise above the din.
So, I hope you do not find yourself in a box
because if you do you’ll have to find the key to its locks.
The key is in you and nobody else, only you can crosse the boundaries
that will set you free. Out of the box is where you are meant to be.
I struggle with insomnia too. (I think quite a few of us do, actually!) Though it’s not fun, it can be a blessing in disguise when it comes to creativity and helping us to think outside the box. In “Boundaries,” the last two lines really resonate with me.
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Hi Michelle! Yes, insomnia is a problem for many, unfortunately. I agree that sometimes, however, you can benefit from the time not sleeping to fuel your creative endeavors! Sorry for my late response! Thanks for visiting & the comments! I am glad you could relate!
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Thank you for sharing your poem about insomnia! As a fellow insomniac, I really feel like you nailed the feelings of sleeplessness. Nice work!
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Tim, Thanks for your kind words. I am glad you could relate but sorry to hear you suffer from insomnia as well! Take Care.
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Isn’t that the truth of insomnia? Way-to-go turning an annoyance into a poem. Ha! Take that, insomnia! I love how you charge it to be gone and done in the end.
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Thanks, Linda! I was hoping to convey that maybe, just maybe, we do have some control over this unwanted visitor! We can only hope!
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The poems are connected, aren’t they? You take the stance against insomnia, definitely out of the box, defying! These would be fun to read aloud in a power voice!
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You know, the poems were not meant to be connected. But, maybe unconsciously they were! Thanks for your insight and suggestion!
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