The nearly man
JP. 1948 (United Kingdom)
THE NEARLY MAN
Defend your space as best you can
It was just an eye contact, a flash in the pan
Erect the defence but do it now
This one got through but you don’t know how
So little in common not like you at all
You are safe in that fortress the walls are so tall
Looking down from your tower, aloof and alone
He can see but not touch through six feet of stone
Yet something just happened but you cannot say what
As you felt the ties loosen in that Gordian knot
No it cannot be him he seems brash and so coarse
And a little too physical astride that white horse
What you need is gentle and not found in a man
Taking solace from solitude that is your plan
But there is something about him as he waits at the gate
An enigma so curious you cannot relate
Will you speak or stay silent? Just smile let him pass?
Is it already too late to relieve this impasse?
Will he wait or be gone as quick as he came?
Not given the chance to know this lady’s name
As your gossamer favour falls wisp like from the tower
Allowed to fall freely by a hand of the hour
You walk but not run to examine your fate
Thoughts filled with the possible you did not contemplate
Cast down he has left but you cannot think why
On the high road to quest when you let him pass by
And your heart is imprisoned by a vision you saw
As you ponder what might have been still you want more
As you walk the ramparts hoping that he will return
Scouring horizons you secretly yearn
To see once again If only you can
That very same nearly, Oh so nearly man
JP.
Font size:
Submitted by johnworthy03 on May 17, 2021
- 1:31 min read
- 11 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | A AABB CCDD XXEE AAFF GGHH IIFF JJXX KKAA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,487 |
Words | 306 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Translation
Find a translation for this poem in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The nearly man" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/100206/the-nearly-man>.
Discuss the poem The nearly man with the community...
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In