Ghost of the Guard



The ghost of the guard still haunts my mind
He warns and scorns then leaves me blind
The ghost of the guard will visit my dreams
And plug the void where creation streams

I once had a friend who helped me cope
He provided healing antidotes
He told me I was beautiful, charming and smart
He was the protector of my wounded heart

He'd block out all and show me the way
Away from the sun and into the shade
In darkness he reckoned a new world view
And said "for now on, it's just me and you"

His creed indeed was my separation
From the world in complete isolation
He was the divider for he shaded my eyes
And painted a world where I only saw lies

As time went by, I found myself alone
My heart became hardened like that of a stone
So slowly I realized just what I had done
By trusting the guard who trusted no one

And yet, my heart had healed under his care
But I no longer knew how to relax out there
My mind was filled with "what if's" and "oh no's"
I knew his departure would be a long road

Now today was great, I had a lot of fun
I laughed amongst friends under the warm sun
But I still felt the guard, in the back of my mind
Pleading with me to run home and hide

There is a guard in us all waiting to awake
The protector and defender for your own sake
And once he arrives he never disappears
He's not a guard at all, he is only fear

About this poem

A little poem about the nature of things

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Submitted by Risingwerdz on August 25, 2023

1:27 min read
88

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB XBCC XXDD EEFF GGEE HHXX EEAX IIXX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,345
Words 285
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Tim Strauss

I write because it helps me realize how I really feel. more…

All Tim Strauss poems | Tim Strauss Books

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Discuss the poem Ghost of the Guard with the community...

2 Comments
  • Vixility
    Congratulations on the win! Love the storyline about the pitfalls and isolation that an unhealthy fear of things can lead people into. The rhyming couplets made the reading of your poem (and the understanding of it) very comfortable—In a sucker for rhyming patterns.

    Curious if you’ve read “The Tumultuous Soup” written by Adam Gutteridge (another contest member)? It has a similar theme that I think you might like.
     
    LikeReply 17 months ago
    • Risingwerdz
      I did read that poem! It is quite similar to mine and it's a fun read too
      LikeReply 17 months ago
  • Kimterese
    I thought it was a perfect description of fear and was very well done
    LikeReply 27 months ago

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"Ghost of the Guard" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/168099/ghost-of-the-guard>.

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