Courage Found or Forfeited
You get to choose
In the absence of facing your fear, courage is forfeited,
Thereby losing the ability to push through and move forward,
Until you feel the fear,
And do it anyway,
Courage is the intention to follow your dreams,
Even when you must step from your comfort zone,
Filling you with dread,
You carry forth with your plans,
Courage is about facing adversity,
When it’s a fight from within,
Standing in stealth with your doubts,
When that inner voice mocks your strength,
Courage, or lack of, comes from the beliefs you hold within,
The uncertainty that you have what it takes,
The unwavering knowledge of who you are,
When faced with your anxious thoughts,
Finding courage is a lonely battle,
Only you fight to restore peace,
Without the internal growth of a resilient muscle,
Flexing it even when you’re crumbling inside,
Trying to lose fear as the blood of a wonderful life,
Where there is courage,
Stemming from the lack of adventure and experience,
Due to the lack of perception and achievement,
When pride in oneself is now lost.
This Inverse Poem was written from the following challenge that I decided to try my hand at.
So please read this poem again but in reverse.
The Prompt
Write a poem that takes on a different meaning when you read the lines from bottom to top.
Your task is to create a reverse poem—an enchanting composition that unfolds with one meaning when reading the lines from top to bottom, and an entirely different meaning when reading the lines in reverse from bottom to top. Carefully choose words to construct lines that reveal hidden depths and unexpected twists in both directions. Your poem does not need to start and end with repeated lines.
This challenge invites you to explore the creative boundaries of expression, playing with the reader's expectations and delivering a unique linguistic experience. Craft a poem that seamlessly transitions between two distinct perspectives, offering a literary dance where the verses gracefully pivot to convey contrasting meanings. This dual-layered exploration in form can be tricky, but when it works, it's magical.
Please click the link below my name to read more of my work. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to read this today and for all your support.
If you enjoy this piece, you may enjoy this one too.
Please visit my website if you'd like more information on my newly published book, Battle Angel : The Ultimate She Warrior.
About the Creator
Colleen Millsteed
My first love is poetry — it’s like a desperate need to write, to free up space in my mind, to escape the constant noise in my head. Most of the time the poems write themselves — I’m just the conduit holding the metaphorical pen.
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Comments (4)
Whoaaaa, you blew my mind with this poem! It reads so well both forwards and in reverse! You nailed this challenge!
Your poem reads well in both directions, though with much the same message. The greater the difference between the two readings the more fully it serves as an inverse poem. Still, it's good & I like the message. People have often called me brave, but I'm not really. It's just that I recognize that the potential loss in taking the risk is completely insubstantial compared to the loss involved in not taking it.
Your reverse poem is amazing!!! Love the inspirational tone!!!
Nice job.