Madness and Death

1. madness

you have to know
insanity
from the inside out
like a storm
passing through
with vengeance
undeserved
inflicting
deep mortal wounds
with the audacity of hope

you have to know the fear of madness
for only the mad
speak well of an unparalleled
and unblemished truth

the sun sets on 6 billion prisons
keys
jealously guarded
by the madmen imprisoned in a poet's heart,
only a beat away,

barely audible in a lyrical poem
of a weather-beaten life.

2. Death

If you haven't met Death
personally,
let me introduce
you to him,
at least I'll make death a
"Him", much like a fundamental
God, who's always a "He",

but for me,
God is androgynous
and Death is a brilliant and beautiful Lover
courting me,
anonymous and magnanimous

my last illusion of Love,
Itself,
quite the articulate,
arrogant and elegant
Loved One
hidden
behind anything
I can ever know,

Death is my last mask
and I gve Him to
You to wear.

— Kailashana, May 30, 2009

About This Poem

About the Author

Critiques

Nordic cloud

17 years ago

So melodramatic Anna

Very powerful and strong thoughts are provoked as we are flung into our own prisons and then offered the much dreaded mask of the god of time, Death. If we haven't been to see death, we have now, S-He is personified here, why disguise IT with a mask? It is blatantly there for all to ponder and in your poem strangely fascinating and appealing, we are almost seduced into loving the very thought of IT until we are jerked into the present and find ourselves reading your poem-therefore still alive. A very particular poem this is Anna, I am fascinated. Yours Ann of Norway

Kailashana

17 years ago

Life is a stand-up comedic

Life is a stand-up comedic act. Most of the time, we're too busy playing Pagliacci.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky271W94VHA&feature=related My father suffered from bipolar his whole life...and I have known loss through death at a very young age. Things that shaped who I am.. Love. ~A "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment." Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

bjp

17 years ago

Dear Anna,

Great stuff this. Poetry is being too close to the sun; too close to madness, as you put it. I think that is one of the most closely guarded of secrets: how close to madness the human experiment is all the time. We are slotted on a spectrum or bell curve, some here some there, but all on the curve. Olya used to always refer to life as a prison. She fights with her own will. Imprisoned by the care she needs provide her siblings. She hates photo radar, mileage limitations on the highway, the stripes on the road. She feels imprisoned in her flesh, and by mood medications, wondering always who the real O is. She hates commercials, the capitalist way (seduction with a boot), and refuses to answer the incessant call of the phone. She used to feel more controlled, restrained and undervalued. So, you are delving into the secret places without 6 billion permissions. And I think that is your job. You have terrific talent. But you have acted and spoken as if you don't. So I say again, you have terrific talent. And we are seeing it peek at us here: deep mortal wounds with the audacity of hope Terrific lines. And that is the dark side of hope: its very desirability causes such blistering whenever hope withdraws; so, our old disappointments ride out ahead of us, machete-ing hope from our path. Hope becomes an evil. And still we seek it or give it such importance as to reject reject. I look forward to everything you write. always with affection, Brian

Kailashana

17 years ago

Yes, Brian, even hope is a

Yes, Brian, even hope is a sword, its blade dark with blood. ~A "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment." Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Seren

17 years ago

Anna

Breathless speachless perfection loved this ... you really do shine bright here Anna ...WOW !!!! Love and regards Jayne x