Faded Green Walls

Donna M Young 1954 (Santa Monica, CA)



Sunlight creeps in through open shades,
Reflecting on faded green walls.
Tears fill my eyes as darkness fades,
Another day roaming these halls.

Why am I trapped in these shadows?
What sentenced me to this cold place?
Heartache has made me grow hollow,
My lost soul is just empty space.

Foggy memories shift and release,
Faces haunt the void of my mind.
Did my life ever include you?
Does confusion ever unwind?

Things done that had seemed so harmless,
It was just a party with friends.
How could we be so damned careless?
Broken lives won't easily mend.

What pleasure is worth all this pain?
When "fun" comes at such a great cost.
I promise, please, never again,
Too late, for our futures are lost.

This town, its people despise me.
My demons have caused so much doom.
I don't deserve your forgiveness,
Their children lie buried in tombs.

These families think me so lucky,
For with their beloved I did not fall.
But now death sounds peacefully happy,
Compared to these faded green walls.

About this poem

This poem is about a friend's mistake. One, from her youth, that she regrets every day. Hopefully she will be able to forgive herself someday.

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Written on March 04, 2023

Submitted by donnam.76665 on March 04, 2023

Modified on April 17, 2023

1:03 min read
333

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB XCXC XDXD EXEX XXXX FXEX FXFB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 993
Words 208
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Donna M Young

Donna lives in a small, Iowa town with her husband Marty; an ordained minister, who also does construction work and painting. A stage four cancer survivor, she started to write when, during treatments, she could do nothing else. After decades in management positions for large companies, she suddenly had nothing to manage and asked God to guide her to a new purpose. A beneficiary of many miracles, and grateful to be alive in order to learn more of Jesus, she now knows her purpose is to write for His glory and she joyfully shares the Gospel of Grace with anyone who will listen. A licensed pastor, Donna speaks at churches, women's groups and other Christian events. She and her husband have raised a blended family of six children, twenty-six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Their lives have been filled with unique challenges and wonderful blessings as they've discovered more of God's exquisite love, in a lost and broken world. more…

All Donna M Young poems | Donna M Young Books

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Discuss the poem "Faded Green Walls" with the community...

4 Comments
  • Symmetry58
    This is perfection, Donna. Your pen is a reflection of your inner-makings, as well your heart. For whomever the subject is of this piece, I pray they find the peace they seek to resolve. None fall but short of the fallibility we are all stricken with and prone to. This is our curse as imperfect humans. The beauty of imperfection, however, is that there are faculties that develop within the given time frame we've been afforded in this life. Hopefully we're able to calm the inner demons to a point of contentment before our respective times run aground. Tribulation is a path to wisdom is it not? Thank you for sharing your gift. This was a beautiful read. 
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • donnam.76665
      Thank you for your comment. And yes, this is my prayer every day. God bless you.
      LikeReply12 months ago
    • donnam.76665
      donnamyoungwriting.com
      LikeReply12 months ago
  • Teril
    A pain-filled poem, a harsh judgement. I hope forgiveness will come!
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • donnam.76665
      Yes, I too hope that someday she will forgive herself, and see that the Lord has already forgiven her. Thank you for your comment.
      LikeReply12 months ago
  • donnam.76665
    Thank you dough.19255. I appreciate your comment. I hope to add more poems soon, though I am currently working on my 11th book and find myself pretty busy with that, family (a household of 8) and our church. God bless you. 
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • dougb.19255
    Marvelous and powerful depiction of the memory that cannot be shaken. It persists. It torments and mocks. It creates one isolated. Chained to the past. BUT, AND IT IS A BIG BUT, There is Jesus, cleansing, rescue, harbouring and self-love and serving in ever-increasing measure. Read psalm 46…Wayne Blair 
    LikeReply1 year ago

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"Faded Green Walls" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/152724/faded-green-walls>.

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