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Unrivalled Bliss

Entry for Things You Can't Say Out Loud Challenge

By Paul StewartPublished 6 months ago Updated 6 months ago 1 min read
Unrivalled Bliss
Photo by Brian Patrick Tagalog on Unsplash

I feel

so often

not good at all

"I'm okay"

the perfect mask

perfect lie

I feel

so often

not good enough

"I'm okay"

—the perfect mask,

the perfect lie.

By the way

it feels

irresponsible

to say

that when

steel bites

flesh (accidental?)

blood

fills

and drenches

water and 3-ply paper

the piercing pain

is followed by

unrivalled bliss—

Sea of Tranquillity

serenity washes

over me.

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: Darker edged take on the challenge. I am okay presently, though.

artFree VerseheartbreakMental Healthsad poetrysocial commentaryperformance 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!

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Comments (9)

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  • Angie the Archivist 📚🪶5 months ago

    Well written but sadly too often true.

  • ThatWriterWoman5 months ago

    So sad, but so well written! Well done Paul!

  • D.K. Shepard6 months ago

    This is certainly a heavy one, friend. But such a perfect entry to the challenge. Bottled up pain is not a light burden to bear.

  • Euan Brennan6 months ago

    I've learnt to doubt the superficial truth of lines like "I'm okay" or "I am fine." They often are, as you say, a mask... but sometimes it's a mask we wear to help ourselves. Intervention isn't always what's needed, but sometimes it is (the duality of humans, I guess?). I know it probably doesn't mean much coming from someone you don't know all too well on Vocal, but if you ever want to unload, I don't mind listening. Putting it in your writing can also be a great way to release it. Always, wishing you the best in life, Paul.

  • A. J. Schoenfeld6 months ago

    Is the Author's note supposed to be ironic? You're okay presently, but you've already established "I'm okay" is the perfect lie?

  • Grz Colm6 months ago

    There will be no self harming today! Lol. I can joke as I use to bang my head in the wall. It really hurts. Anyway I think we all feel like this. Totally normal. If we had everything we ever wanted we’d have nowhere to go to and nowhere to evolve to. ☺️ 💚

  • Sometimes, that does feel blissful but it's often temporary. Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️

  • D. J. Reddall6 months ago

    Very vivid, my liege!

  • Mark Graham6 months ago

    Good thing by the end of the poem one could pass out. What a poem.

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