I look my reflection in the eye until I don’t want to inject blame through the glass, until I don’t still hope the syringe bruises her skin. I watch her cry until I forgive her, until she looks more like a survivor than a shell.
I tie my insecurities to the pyre, burn them and their petty curses, let the wind collect their ashes, scatter them on untouchable lands.
Press my knife to depression’s throat, slice it open, watch it bleed out of me - turn to hope in the sunlight.
Anxiety is buried alive. I watch it suffocate in the same way it stole the air from me so many times - Ruthlessly, violently, overwhelmingly. Watch it die the same way I thought I would.
I fasten a weight around fear’s ankle. Watch as it sinks. Watch as I don’t.
I will take all my negative thoughts to the gallows. Read their last rites. Hang them myself.
This is me celebrating at their wake. This is me greeting tomorrow as if it is my salvation (not my death warrant).
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Reminder: My 1.2.3. Challenge only has 8 days left to enter!!! I'm loving the entries so far but hope to see more.
Author's Note: Writing the 'Dear Narcissist' Series was so cathartic and reading people's comments was so interesting so I've decided to start another series of poems. 'Metamorphosis Chronicles' will hopefully be more hopeful than my other poems but only time will tell if I can actually manage that.😂 It might end up that it just takes me a lot longer to write each one. Anyway, thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!
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Comments (12)
Just reread this after reading your new poem in this series, Eviction. I like this even better on second read... "Press my knife to depression’s throat, slice it open, watch it bleed out of me - turn to hope in the sunlight."
Well done 👏👏👏
Incredible. Incredible indeed...🤙
OOOH! Poppy, the extended metaphor here is SO AWESOME! All those executions, it's like I saw them in a time-lapse in a movie; so vivid, brutal, emotionally punchy. Each method fits so perfectly (and poetically) with each affliction, too. The more I think about it, the more I admire your skill here. Just amazing work, amazing amazing. And I'm thrilled to read the series! ❤️
Beautiful poignantly uplifting poem. I’m going to check out your 1. 2. 3. Challenge
Oh I do hope you manage it. Your words are so powerful, I hope their strength pulls you through xx
Anxiety is buried alive. I watch it suffocate in the same way it stole the air from me so many times - Ruthlessly, violently, overwhelmingly. Watch it die the same way I thought I would. I am so in love with this part! It blew my mind! You're freaking brilliant! I'm so glad you started this new series! So excited to read more of this!
Well written… I especially like the second last thought… “take all my negative thoughts to the gallows… Hang them myself!
Yes! Turn the horrors right back on those fears and anxieties. Excellent piece. Well done.
Do I sense the winds have shifted, Mr. Banks has been saved, Mary is off to rescue another family feeling ever so lost, & the Poppies in this story have awakened. (Just to reference some of our son's favorite movies.)
Exquisitely inspirational!!!💕❤️❤️
Nicely done. Many are the insecurities, fears, and abuses that need to be chopped into tiny pieces and flushed. We all have them at least to a point. This platform is one way to pull them, kicking, screaming, or whimpering, from our psyche and excisizing them. Nice job.