Who Are You Today?

Jordan Salkin

May 23

Very soon you will be gone,
So who are you today?
A brilliant soul or silhouette
Of conscience on display,

The bridge between the hopes and dreams
Of those who call you “Friend,”
A drop of rain that sings the pain
Of sweet, sweet Summer’s end,

The naked eye that stops to cry
Then searches ever more,
The distant ear that strains to hear
The waves upon the shore,

The traveler bound from town to town
Who marks upon the road,
The loving heart that seeks to see
Compassion is bestowed,

The canvas for the golden ink
You scribble line by line,
The darkness of the rapid blink
That lasts for all of time,

The orange of October
And the purple of the sky,
The wonder in a child’s gaze
That makes him question “Why,”

The joyous tears and daunting fears
Of cowards and the brave,
The dreamers and the destinies
Of those you wish to save,

The perfectly imperfect lot
Of stones upon the ground,
The permanence of all that’s lost
In everything you’ve found,

The answers to the questions
That are woven in your mind,
The setting sun for which you run
But always fall behind,

The sober drop of honest truth
You taste upon your tongue,
The bloody passion in your veins
That pleads your song be sung,

And have you held your precious gifts
Or given them away?
For very soon you will be gone,
So who are you today?

About this poem

I was supposed to go out with my friends one random Friday night. Instead, I stayed in and wrote this at 2am. Hope you enjoy.

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Submitted by salkinjt on May 10, 2023

: 1:28 min read
: 605 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	aBxb xcxc dexe xfxf gxgx xdxd xhxh xixi xjxj xkxk xbaB
Closest metre	Iambic tetrameter
Characters	1,345
Words	296
Stanzas	11
Stanza Lengths	4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Full analysis for Who Are You Today? »

Jordan Salkin

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MandaaCohen93
This is such a beautiful gathering of precious, touching words that all come together so perfectly! After reading this I felt so calm & peaceful. It gave me such a passion in my soul for my love of writing and it's obvious you as well have quite the love, skill & talent for writing poetry! Wonderful work! more »
LikeReply 12 months ago
angieliana
That was very beautiful and has inspired me in my writing!
LikeReply 13 months ago
Mickeydenisegrandma
Very good and makes you think
LikeReply3 months ago
npirandy
I feel obligated to give a nod to several of the entries to this month's contest. I found several to be worthy of recognition. The quality of work was above a beyond the norm. This poem did get my vote though. To take first place among these entries is truly an accomplishment! Well done. more »
LikeReply 13 months ago
lovingempath
"The canvas for the golden ink", pretty much says it all for me; but wait! There's more!! The other visuals, along with the rhythm and rhyme; all the way through; without any forced words to meet the need for a word that rhymes meet all of my personal specifications for the perfect poem. AND...it was dripping in emotion. I think I took a shower in it! Congratulations!! more »
LikeReply 13 months ago
mmocanu73
In my opinion, this poem sincerely expresses a fundamental question that synthesizes the need to remain in the present and to understand that today is all we have and what defines us. Also, rhythm and rhyme are built inspired, the poem has melody and color. Congratulation to the author! more »
LikeReply 13 months ago
Dread
Besides the good meter and rhyme, there was a poignant melancholy in this work for me. I often reminisce about the days of my youth and contemplate diminishing days. This poem give cause to reflect on what purpose our lives have served. more »
LikeReply 13 months ago
Váli
Not overly complex for no reason. Uses words in a way that flows with the overall poem and gets its point across, and not just trying to rhyme. It's a poem I feel that everyone can relate to. It was lovely to read and digest. It was a hard choice but I feel like this poem deserves my vote. more »
LikeReply3 months ago
tbishop11
This poem spoke to me on many levels!
LikeReply 13 months ago
Risingwerdz
I chose this poem because it is the closest out of the bunch to perfect. It is deep with vivid imagery as well.
LikeReply3 months ago
npirandy
I found the rhythm and rhyme of this poem to be smooth and rather soothing. The message behind it led to a moral conclusion. Well done!
LikeReply3 months ago
JokerGem
This is also ’woven’ together quite nicely and certainly pulled me in....l hope this places in the show
LikeReply3 months ago

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"Who Are You Today?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 25 Sep. 2023. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/161421/who-are-you-today?>.

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