Bitter
{Painting by Roberto Ferri)
Bitter
The body, caught in etheric thrum
Stygian resonance worn plain
No more in hiding
No more in blind faith
Once buoyant, now burdened
Static trapped under skin
Weighed by what could not be forgiven
Audit goodness
I am no believer — I am a witness
Cloddishly, emotionally anemic
I watch brutality in bloom
Spotlit parodists, bestial
All our spirits feral from neglect
Resentment won’t discharge
Consuming suffering not in hatred but memory
Ever-present with foresight
I’ll worship what is real,
Even when it wounds
The skin, too tight, holding worlds
And words, swallowed, mouldering
The hand tremors over closed mouths
Sempiternal — Trashing
All this rage
Was once hope
Spit the poison out
Spit the poison out
Spit the poison out
End it all, with love
Some cool poems by cool poets wrestling with ‘bitter’ themes or similar sentiments:
“I watch brutality in bloom” — gnarly!