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their attractive empty promises

Search/fight for "the real Paul" - Poem inspired of an old Poppy's Prompts

By Paul StewartPublished 2 years ago 1 min read
their attractive empty promises
Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf on Unsplash

Sc r e w e d

without (hope)

Shots fired

oo o oo o

by life and vice

leave b l e e d i n g

bullet holes

o oo oo o

o o z i n g and s e e p i n g

*

as the lies I've told

good, bad, ugly

white, black, red

all stacked-up|against|me

*

one by one by one

like (Babushka dolls)

one by one by one

*

- 2 am -

wonder

if I'm "the real Paul"

or the fantastical version of myself?

*

Wonder

if I'm the screw-up

or the hard-done-by-saint (I'm not)

I (invented?) long ago?

*

When I b l e w seeds of doubt

into everyone's lungs

like seeds of dandelions

oo o o oo

one by one by one

)choking( them out

one by one by one

*

before they can remember

the other "me"

*

where is my hope for regrowth?

not in the pixels

not on the path of least resistance

*

facing demons and ignoring...

ignoring their attractive, empty promises

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: Another unpublished cast-off from one of Poppy's Prompts from a few months ago. The subject matter is something that is at the forefront of my mind right now as I am finally trying to work on my problems rather than just staying clean. Anyway. Ta-da.

artFree Verseheartbreakinspirationalsad poetrysocial commentarysurreal poetryperformance poetry

About the Creator

Paul Stewart

Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.

The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!

Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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Comments (8)

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  • ThatWriterWoman2 years ago

    The description of the dandelion seeds is phenomenal writing Paul! Nicely done!

  • Felt as though I was in your head, Paul. Well done. And we're with you.

  • Silver Daux2 years ago

    I loved how this read. The way you wrote this created a real sense of tension. Awesome!

  • This was so good Paul. I am so glad to be in such good company...whatever Paul you become; we will be better for knowing each aspect.

  • Well-wrought! Remember also that they will try to use your past against you as well, to make you think you can never change. Are they real demons or just aspects of yourself? Does it matter? Heed not their disgusting, contemptible voices, but rather that of the river of Eden which flows from your very own heart. Many blessing and much love, brother!

  • Belle2 years ago

    (Top Story content!!)

  • Belle2 years ago

    Beautiful! The use of the italics and other functions made it absolutely crazy to read. Felt on my toes the whole time, like I should be looking over my shoulder at something watching me. Perhaps a past version of myself. Uncanny!!

  • D. J. Reddall2 years ago

    Identity can be as ephemeral as dandelion seeds--a compellingly unorthodox poem!

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