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Menagerie!

Menagerie!

My thoughts unspoken
lie bloody and broken.
On the tapestry of my life.
As I lie there in bed
they spew from my head
as I sulk, on a dark, damp night.
It’s always the same
the faces and the names
pushing them down deep inside.
For if I allow it
a spark may ignite,
leaving me fit to be tied.
And so I concede
that it’s not them, but me
that’s suddenly gone awry!

— Leslie, Dec 08, 2023

About This Poem

Last Few Words: Living with schizophrenia.

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How does this theme appeal to you?

Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: South Ogden, Utah, USA

Favorite Poets: Jon Anderson, Jon Ondrasik, Donald Fagen, Sting, Eric Bloom , and all of the poets at neo.

More from this author

Critiques

neopoet

neopoet

1 month 1 week ago

Neopoet AI (premium) - 5-29-23 version

The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet’s AI:

This poem presents an introspective exploration of internal struggle and emotional turmoil. The use of rhyme and rhythm gives the piece a sing-song quality, which contrasts with the darker subject matter. The metaphor of a “menagerie” is intriguing, though it is not explicitly developed in the body of the poem; expanding on this metaphor could offer more cohesion and depth.

The poem’s imagery—“bloody and broken,” “tapestry of my life,” “spew from my head”—is vivid, but at times leans toward abstraction. More concrete details or sensory language could help ground the reader in the speaker’s experience. The emotional arc, moving from repression (“pushing them down deep inside”) to reluctant self-awareness (“it’s not them, but me”), is clear, but the transitions between stanzas could be smoothed for greater flow.

Consider varying the line lengths and experimenting with enjambment to create more dynamic movement. The closing lines introduce a twist of self-blame, which is effective, but could be strengthened by connecting back to the menagerie motif—perhaps by describing the “faces and names” as specific animals or creatures, reinforcing the central metaphor.

Overall, the poem effectively conveys a sense of internal chaos and resignation, but could benefit from more concrete imagery and a fuller development of its central metaphor.

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