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Drowsing for Madness

A Parliament
convenes outside
in a wise hoot
of cacophony,
now settles the night

inside, a chaos
of fate continues

a battle sags
the sky above,
and a great
half moon of fire
bulges the stratosphere
of each eye

swoops of angels
are forever in the pit,
again demons from hell

and while this curiosity
takes center-stage
in a despondent sight

a fat rat eats cheese
as a little old man
teaspoons Pal on toast

I dig my fallout shelter
deeper into my psyche,


and wonder,
if they will ever find
my yellowing bones

drowsing the essence
of my madness

I have done
and I twisted in her hold,
chewed off her face

so I remember her taste,

is bitter and lifeless

— Seren, Apr 19, 2010

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: Beyond the Black Stump..Australia, AUS

Favorite Poets: Pablo Neruda, P.K.Page, W.H.Auden, to many and various to include them all ...

More from this author

Critiques

Nordic cloud

Nordic cloud

16 years 1 month ago

Wonderfully bizarre and juicily exciting

Ann of Norway Oh I am twisted in so many ways to look at this and experience this that I am not sure where I am at the moment. Wonderfully bizarre and juicily exciting for our minds to drop into Jayne, at once painful and desperate, at the same time as blissfully abandoned to the cacophony of peripheral happenings. "a battle sags the sky above, and great half moon of fire bulges the stratosphere of each eye" "in a despondent sight a fat rat eats cheese as a little old man teaspoons Pal on toast".. ...I bought two rats and a bat today!! that is as bizzare as anything too, I am telling the truth, believe me. They are to go with three other rats that I sent my sisters grandchildren who have a great time trying to find them every time they visit her, now for a smile I have bought them each their own offspring!!!! That's as bizare as your poem, well almost!!!! Like the fall-out shelter for your psyche too. Love to you, I enjoyed this a lot, Ann.
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Ann

OK your going to find this even more bizarre the line about the fat rat eats cheese made me think of you lol cause I have nearly finished the cheese poem you asked me to write all thos months ago lol that seriously just spun me out lol wow Ann serendipity is at work again ;) haha love and biggest hugs JayCee x x x Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Candlewitch

Candlewitch

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Jayne

I don't know what to say because I don't understand the poem. But you have included some phenomenal imagery. Maybe it is me and I am thick as a brick today. Can you clue me in on some of the critical points of this piece? Love, Cat
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dearest Cat

I think when we ask for no crit at least an explanation is forthcoming and I will explain this one to you its about my illness as you might have guessed (A Parliament convenes outside a wise hoot of cacophony, now settling the night) )this stanza is an actual fact ... when I sat to write a heap of owls where outside hooting lol and a crowd of owls is called a parliment( inside, a chaos of fate continues )this ones self explanatory( a battle sags the sky above, and great half moon of fire bulges the stratosphere of each eye )the battle for sanity for people like you and me is constant and to stay on top of it we have to be vigilant as angels and demons( swoops of angels are forever in the pit, again’ demons from hell and while this curiosity takes center-stage in a despondent sight )this stanza the curiosity is my schizophrenia taking over( a fat rat eats cheese as a little old man teaspoons Pal on toast )the fat rats are docters eating the cream while insane little old men eat dog food( I dig my fallout shelter deeper into my psyche, )My battle station if you will to be ever vigilant not to get sick again( and wonder, if they will ever find my yellowing bones and drowse the essence of my madness and I have done as I twisted in her hold, and chewed off her face so I remember her taste is bitter and lifeless )and her is my madness ...( hope it explained it a little for you and I am glad you asked Love and biggest hugs JayCee Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
xena465

xena465

16 years 1 month ago

Strange JayCee

I've just posted a poem about war, well the injustice of some people in times of war. I think I know where your feelings are with this one. Love it While the fat rat eats in all types of war we, as innocent people, end up the victims and starving. Rosina xena465
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Rosina

there are all types of fat cats on this planet in this case its the docters who take and give nothing for their ailing patients ... thanks for the read and the comment will go and have a look at your poem when I am finished here love and big hugs JayCee x x x Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Ross Hamilton Hill

Ross Hamilton Hill

16 years 1 month ago

hi seren

More to thank you for comments to some of my poems that I didn't reply to, am just disovereing how to use the 'dashboard' and catching up on comments made. I liked this with some reservations, there's some powerful imagery, I liked its elusive quality. I can understand you not wanting critiques, sometimes it's enough just to write it and put it out there.
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Ross

I appreciate the return comment but I do very much enjoy your poetry so the pleasure is all mine ... I am glad you liked this curious poem the explanation short is above in my reply to Cat if you interested thanks again for your lovely comment love and hugs JayCee Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Elizabeth

so very nice to see you again dear lady you ahve been missed .. I am very happy you liked this one ... I saw you had a new one in stream will be off to read you shortly love and big hugs JayCee x x Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Judd

Smiles I do hope thats a good stunned, thanks though for the comment this one was one I had written and wasn't sure if I should post but here it is ... thanks again hugs love JayCee x x x Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Candlewitch

Candlewitch

16 years 1 month ago

Hello

Thank you dear Jayne, for the break down of the poem and your explanation. Now that you have translated it for me it makes perfect sense! I was having a hard day yesterday. You know, Methatrexate Monday. Sometimes I think the drug interferes with my ability to think in anything but straight terms. Sorry. Love, Cat
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dearest Cat

I know that your beast is a slightly different beast to mine so it might not all make sense to everyone ... but its one I felt I had to write and then had to decide whether to post lol thanks for the interest and the read love and big hugs JayCee x x x Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
M

Mariposa

16 years 1 month ago

Wow, I could relate in so many ways

Brilliant depictions I am at my most mad when drowsing... ...and poems like this help me feel not so alone helps me "dig that fallout shelter deep in my psyche" a glorious line Your sister in ink, Jhena
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Jhena

my sister in ink ... you are never alone ... I am very happy you liked this one love in ink hugs JayCee Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Dale

I think different on different days ... depends how my world is going lol ... but whatevers going on you can never loose hope in life ... ever ... thank you for the wonderful comment ... Pssst my book?, fingers crossed will be out in october november lol love and hugs JayCee Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll
Seren

Seren

16 years 1 month ago

Dear Dale

my life was a constant nightmare for a long time ... so I knew sadness well it had become my friend but turning that corner and not being that person anymore was an effort change as we get older is hard we become too ingrained ... and need to be retrained in some ways ... well some of us not all lol ... I lost my way for a long time Dale when the happiness came soaked it up to get me through the bad times to come ... and they always do ... thanks for that lovely vision I dont know that I am as brave as our convict/settler forefathers and my family have been here on my fathers side nearly 200 years lol nearly as old as Oz lol love and a million thanks for your wonderful comment when the book comes out I will provide a link to where it can be purchased ... btw part of the dedication involves Neo lol but thats all I will say love and hugs JayCee Quote:- It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.---Robert Green Ingersoll