PART AT THE SEAMS,
WE LIE ABOUT OUR FEELINGS,
AND WE REJECT THEIR HEALINGS,
WE LIE ABOUT OUR LIES,
WE ARE ALL LIARS IN DISGUISE,
WE ARE LIARS, THIS IS TRUE,
BUT DO NOT LET THIS DEFINE YOU,
THE TRUTH DWELLS IN YOUR MIND,
DIG DEEP AND YOU SHALL FIND,
A TRUTH GREATER THAN GOLD,
WE WILL ALL OF US GROW OLD,
BUT THOSE OF US WHO DO NOT LIE,
THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL NEVER DIE!
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emiT
.nehw tub ,erehw ro woh fo rettam a ton si tI
niaga uoy ees thgim I yad eno spahreP
tsav yrev os ho si dlrow siht tuB
tsap eht ot tsol era ,evol ym ,uoY
tseb eht rof ti kniht I
tseuq ym nodnaba tsum I
retsasid uoy tnarg lliw ti dna ,ti egnahC
retsam ruo si emiT
kcolc eht no eno syas tI
kcot ,kciT
!em evas uoy t’now ,ydobyna ,ydobemos ,esaelP
ees I lla si ssenkcalb taerg A
eroy fo srats eht rea ,oot enoG
,erom on si htreE ehT
uoy dna em neewteb dnats snoillib ,snoillim ,sdnasuohT
?hguorht enog I evah ,won sraey ynam woH
llif ym dah evah I ,kcab og em teL
llits retsaf ,retsaF
!yats em tel esaelp ho ,ecaf ruoy fo espmilg A
yad lufetaf taht tsap ylf I
gnorts siht eb ot llup eht tcepxe ton did I
gnorw si gnihtemos ,oN
em dnuora lriws sraey ,syad ,setuniM
ees I lla si thgil nedlog fo lennut A
lliw ylno ym si uoy hcaer oT
llits resolc ,resolC
yawa nur uoy edam I nehW
yad lufetaf taht sdrawoT
tort lliw I flesti emit hguorhT
ton dluoc yeht tahw enod evah I tuB
retsaf ro rewols ti ekam tonnac eW
retsam ruo si emiT
kcolc eht no evlewt syas tI
kcot ,kciT
Technical Aspect: The poem is written in reverse, read it from the last letter of the last line and work backwards (read right to left, bottom to top).
Explanation: emiT was created around the same time as FLSKHU and follows a similar design philosophy. While both poems are visually striking and differ from the norm, emiT is marginally easier to read. As a long-time fan of backwards writing, I particularly enjoyed writing this poem.
In terms of subject matter, the tale of a heartbroken time traveller moving through time to undo his past mistake was a story to tell. It is my belief that this tale, when combined with the poem’s unusual structure, adds a degree of immersion that would otherwise not exist. Starting from the poem’s “end”, you must go against the normal flow of top to bottom and left to right in order to reach the poem’s “start”. Just as the time traveller warps space and time with his journey, so too does the poem warp your imagination.
For those of you who have not the time for such things, I have included the original version. It is what I wrote first and what I used to create emiT (by reversing the order of each line and word).
Tick, tock
It says twelve on the clock
Time is our master
We cannot make it slower or faster
But I have done what they could not
Through time itself I will trot
Towards that fateful day
When I made you run away
Closer, closer still
To reach you is my only will
A tunnel of golden light is all I see
Minutes, days, years swirl around me
No, something is wrong
I did not expect the pull to be this strong
I fly past that fateful day
A glimpse of your face, oh please let me stay!
Faster, faster still
Let me go back, I have had my fill
How many years now, have I gone through?
Thousands, millions, billions stand between me and you
The Earth is no more,
Gone too, are the stars of yore
A great blackness is all I see
Please, somebody, anybody, won't you save me!
Tick, tock
It says one on the clock
Time is our master
Change it, and it will grant you disaster
I must abandon my quest
I think it for the best
You, my love, are lost to the past
But this world is oh so very vast
Perhaps one day I might see you again
It is not a matter of how or where, but when.
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Choices
I am so (happy/saddened) that it has come to this…
After two decades of (hell/paradise)
(Freedom!/Divorce!)
I always thought we wound (never last/last forever)
We were young to wed, and that (doomed us/didn’t matter)
(He/She) was my first love, and I always (doubted/believed) that (He/She) would be my last
Every night, (snoring!/falling asleep together)
Every morning, (body odour!/pancakes!)
I mean, (He/She) would always (eat all the/give me her) dessert!
Sure, we had our (good/bad) times but they never lasted long
After this, I hope I can (find someone new/still be in her life)
It hasn’t been all (bad/good), but that is no reason to (stay/leave), is it?
I have (always questioned/never doubted) if I still love (Him/Her)
But now I (see the lie/know the truth)
Two decades of (pretending/happiness)
The time has come for us to (be free/be apart)
There is one thing that (might/will never) change…
The fact that I will (never/always) love you
Technical Aspect: Each line has two interpretations based on which choice is used (the first choice tells the wife’s story, the second the husband’s).
Explanation: This poem is interesting in that it provokes a different response depending on who reads it. While some naturally gravitate towards the woman’s side, others identify more with the man. I believe that this poem’s greatest strength lies in the choice given to the reader to determine the poem’s composition.
In relationships, we often say that every choice matters. We can choose to listen attentively to our partner’s needs and wants or we can choose to ignore them and focus on our own selfish desires. The choice might seem insignificant at the time, but by choosing the selfish option, resentment can build up and eventually undermine an otherwise healthy relationship.
Sadly, many of us are not even aware that this is happening. We delude ourselves and refuse to acknowledge the signs of growing unhappiness. We tell ourselves that our partner is happy, and are thus wholly surprised when they finally reveal that this is anything but the truth.
So, make the right choice. Listen. Observe. Empathise. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? Have we been attentive to their needs? Have we acted in a selfish manner?
Every day we are given the chance to make the right choice.
Will you?
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Me, Myself and…
They always say we
Not once have they told me to go away
And yet, a team cannot be created from good thoughts alone
Are we really a team?
They always say that the word “team” does not have the letter…well, you already know, don’t you?
When we play, why do they never pass to me?
When we celebrate, why do they never call for me?
When we lose, why do they always blame me?
So many late days and early days.
Play, play, play, that’s all they say!
Are my shots not good enough?
Are my passes not exemplary?
Are my calls not answered?
What are teammates for, exactly?
To slow me down?
To degrade my performance?
To call me out?
To make fun of me?
They always say we
But lately, that sounds the same as me, me, me.
The word “Team” has always had a “me”…
Not anymore
So long, and thanks for all the “we’s”
From now on, let me be known as just “me”
Technical Aspect: The letter “I” is never used in the poem.
Explanation: While trying to decide which letter I would omit from this poem, I pondered several options. Obviously, “E”, the most common letter in the English language was quite attractive from a creative/challenge point of view. However, as I have stated before, I prefer to have the subject matter and the Technical Aspect have some level of connection. Therefore, choosing “I” allowed me to write a poem about teamwork and fully utilize the poem’s Technical Aspect to deepen the poem’s message.
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The Question
The question has been asked
How am I to answer?
Every time I think I know,
A different answer appears
Now we are together
Someday we might not be
Who knows how long we will last
Eventually you may tire of me
Realizing that I am not the man for you
I, however, have made my choice
Simply put, I have asked myself the same question, day after day
For it is this question that I must answer
Only I can answer it
Really now, it’s not that hard
Especially not when I see your face
Very well, I will tell you
Everything hinges on my answer, no?
Realistically, how long will our love last?
Technical Aspect: Taking the first letter of each line gives the answer to the poem.
Explanation: In this poem, I experimented in creating a hidden message within the poem itself. For those readers who did not realize this, their understanding of the poem is significantly different (and most likely a bit sadder) than the intended meaning. I wanted to obscure the true message of the poem in order to increase the interactivity and provide a ‘eureka!’ moment when the message becomes clear. This ‘eureka!’ moment is present in several of my other poems, and I believe that that feeling of accomplishment and understanding helps to make the poem both more memorable and more personal.
For those of you who did not get it: The Answer is Forever
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SOS
(Help me!)
(Boat sank!)
(No food!)
-Marooned on a deserted island-
-No signs of life anywhere-
-I fear that this place will kill me-
(Please come!)
(Come soon!)
(Losing hope.)
Technical Aspect: The poem is shaped in the same structure as the SOS Morse code (…---…).
Explanation: One of the shorter poems in this collective, both its length and subject matter are derived from the desperate nature of being lost at sea. I wanted to have each line be a representation of that desperate need to survive and that dwindling hope. Inside each of the nine characters (the “.” And “-“) the survivor pours his feelings and his hope. Knowing that help might never come, he sends out his desperate message regardless. I wanted the reader (that’s you) to feel that same deepness of thought and meaning contained in the simplicity of the characters.
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Repeat
Every day, agony
Wake up
Get dressed
Eat breakfast
Drive to work
Mundane employment
Multiplied by infinity
Following morning, despair
Awaken
Clothe myself
Consume nourishment
Commute
Mind-numbing occupation
Forever
Succeeding morrow, misery
Arise
Garments on
Feast
Arrive at office
One step closer towards death
Without end
Another cycle, anguish
Forgo sleep
Raiment equipped
Devour nutrients
Sit in traffic
Make someone else money
Ad infinitum
No!
Reject repetitions!
Embrace life!
Do what makes you happy!
Make your dreams reality!
Ambition is the antithesis of drudgery.
Technical Aspect: No word is repeated throughout the poem.
Explanation: Repeat was an interesting poem to write as it forced me to expand my vocabulary and carefully plan out my word use. Before I wrote Repeat, I had no idea how dependent we are on certain common words such as “and” and “to”, and that being able to only use them once in a story or poem forces one to be creative with their word use.
As always, the meeting point of Technical Aspect and subject matter is an important part of each of my Technical Poems and I believe that Repeat is a great example of how poetry can be enhanced through the addition of a Technical Aspect. While the effect is subtle and understated, I believe that the reader’s mind will subconsciously pick up on the poem’s unusual structure and this will lead to a sense of unease and curiosity.
What do you do in your day to day existence? Wake up. Eat. Travel. Work. Sleep. Again and again. Over and over. Is this what you want? Are you living the dream? Or is your dream dead and gone. I ask you. Look at yourself. Is your life full of meaningless repetitions? Why?
This world is oh so very vast and wonderful. We were not meant to do the same thing over and over again for a few decades and then die. Reject repetitions. Try and do something new. Something you have never done before.
Whether it is trying out a new activity, learning a new language or going someplace you’ve never been before.
Each day we are given countless opportunities to do something different with our lives.
Don’t waste them.
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Distance
I realize that you are the only one I will never Miss
You were always so quick to say I told you So
Much of our time revolved around me saying Please
Come on, what we had was not a Home
My only regret is that I once called you Darling
Nothing about you was real, but then what in life Is?
The day you left, everything seemed the Same
Without you here, it is no longer about me and You!
Technical Aspect: Taking the first and last word of each line reveals the secret message.
Explanation: While Distance is one of the simplest Technical Poems in this collective, its strength lies more in the melding of Technical Aspect and subject matter. This is evident in the combination of the person’s adamant declaration of personal betterment following heartbreak and of their hidden, possibly subconscious desire to reunite with their former lover. For this poem, I decided to make the hidden message easy to see (my original plan was to not use bold to mark the words) as I feared that people would read this poem and miss the true meaning.
For those of you who do not wish to extrapolate the hidden message, I have included it below:
I miss you so much! Please come home. My darling, nothing is the same without you!
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Hidden
I have always said that life is grand,
I walk through life with a smile on my face,
My days are filled with happy smiles,
A perfect life is what I seek,
We live in a world of light and colour,
For those around me, I say don't worry,
All in all, a blessed day awaits us,
So I say to you, have a wonderful day!
I have also included an alternate version of this poem below.
I have always said that life is grand,
I walk through it by dancing on the sand
My days are filled with happy smiles
They gather new friends from miles and miles
A perfect life is what I seek
I am many things but never meek
We live in a world of light and colour
Every single day it grows brighter, not duller
For those around me I say don't worry
We aren't going anywhere in a hurry
All in all, a blessed day awaits us
Why stress at all, why the fuss?
So with all that out of the way
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Technical Aspect: There is a hidden line of poetry between each visible line (originally revealed by highlighting the space with the cursor).
Explanation: Hidden is one of my first poems to have more than one version, reflecting my indecisiveness in its presentation. The first version, in which the visible and invisible lines shared a rhyme scheme, and the second, in which the visible and invisible lines had separate rhyme schemes.
The reason behind the duality was the fact that in the first version, the visible lines formed a very disjointed narrative that reinforced the fact that something was missing from the poem. However, for the readers who did not realize that there were hidden lines, what was visible was a poorly written and discontinuous poem. Thus in the second version I made sure that even if the reader never saw the hidden lines, what they did see what still contained a rhyme scheme (AABB) and continuous narrative, with the hidden lines having their own separate rhyme scheme that meshed to form an ABAB format.
As far as subject matter is concerned, I feel that this poem is one of the most evocative. All of us have thoughts that we would never openly share with our friends and family, and it becomes truly heart-breaking when these thoughts become cries for help that are often hidden in plain sight, ignored by the people around us.
If you harbour any such thoughts, please, share them with the people around. Do not let your thoughts lie hidden until it is too late.
As this poem’s Technical Aspect is only visible in certain situations (e.g. on an internet browser) I have included the complete poem (both versions) below. The lines in bold are those that are normally hidden from view.