Muse



She was a mess of tangled hair,
a pack of cigarettes, and a bottle of gin.
She could drink like a fish,
and f*ck like a dream,
but her eyes were empty,
and her soul was torn.

She stumbled through life,
with a reckless abandon,
leaving destruction in her wake.
She had no direction,
no purpose,
just a streak of madness,
that guided her footsteps.

She found solace in the bottom of a glass,
and comfort in the arms of a stranger.
She had no friends,
only acquaintances,
who knew her by name,
but not by her soul.

She was a poet,
with words that raged like fire,
and a heart that bled with pain.
She wrote of love,
of heartbreak,
of loss,
and of the darkness that consumed her.

She was his muse,
his inspiration,
his devilish sidekick.
And though she left chaos in her wake,
He loved her,
and found beauty in her madness.

He just never could find the courage
To tell her.
Though it was something,
She desperately needed to hear.

She was a mess,
a hurricane of fury,
but in her own twisted way,
she was beautiful.
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Submitted by JoeStrickland on May 15, 2023

1:10 min read
203

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXXAX XBCBDDX XEXXXX XEXXCXE XBXCED XEXX XAXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,017
Words 236
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 6, 7, 6, 7, 6, 4, 4

Joe Strickland

I'm just a regular, blue collar, working stiff who took an interest in writing poetry many years ago but until recently I haven't had a desire to share any with anyone or pursue publication. I'm an unpublished fork lift operator by night, and a day drinker by choice. I can be followed on Twitter @JoeStricklandSC more…

All Joe Strickland poems | Joe Strickland Books

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Discuss the poem Muse with the community...

5 Comments
  • lovingempath
    I think you described 'Janis Joplin' very adequately with your poem Joe..
    LikeReply9 months ago
  • Benny11
    Wow, your poem is so beautiful with the way you used words in your expression "but in her own twisted ways she was beautiful." Your use of paradox to depict the uniqueness in the way we live and love goes on to show that beauty is in the eyes of beholder. I read this poem again and again, and bookmark it. Well done. 
    LikeReply 110 months ago
  • cokerrogers
    This brought back wonderful memories of a horrible relationship. Thx brother . Mine was a special kind of disease to me too. I wish them both the best . Great poem.
    LikeReply 110 months ago
  • karlcfolkes
    How could we ever define beauty, if not for its bosom companion, the so-called “ugliness.” The TAO informs us that the two are one: two different sides of the same coin. “Beauty” taken to its extreme limits, transmogrifies itself into ugliness, just as “Ugliness,” having exhausted its outermost boundaries, shifts its paradigm arc towards beauty. Of such is nature, ever in eternal search of finding balance and harmony. 
    LikeReply 210 months ago
  • Kaytee
    Beautiful and sad. It shows the beauty even in the brokenness. Great work!
    LikeReply 110 months ago

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"Muse" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/159450/muse>.

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