Whirl-A-Tilt
Poem for The Road Drops Here Challenge
Standing on the sidelines, yearning for inclusion
Fed up with my status, immunocompromised
A health ranking since Covid
Often leaves me feeling left out
Denied living, enjoying the entirety of my being
Life is a platform
Always rotating
Always moving
Yet, my life remains at a standstill
While others enjoy the ride
Might I chance the thrill others get to feel
Up and down
round and round
Circulating cyclical consistency
"Weeeeeeee"
Sounds great to me
Weight of the matter, my situation
Feel disproportionate
To the essence of creation
Five years have passed since major surgery
Robbed me of most amusement
Solo does not breathe Yolo
Settling within the boundaries of confinement
Refinement~
Acrobatic aeromatic non-static emphatic
I must ease my way back into society
Much like reclaiming sobriety
Baby steps will prep self-perceived inept
A fixed pivotal point feels limited
Going nowhere, going nowhere
I crave excitement, the unpredictable
Please give me some chaotic motion
I release my side-line seat belt
I step onto the platform
Telling myself, "You've got this girl"
Tilting, leaving even ground behind
Ready to give life another whirl
***
My poem uses wordplay and themes from Tilt-A-Whirl to convey recent feelings about life as an immunocompromised person since 2020.
About the Creator
Marilyn Glover
Poet, writer, & editor, writing to uplift humanity. A Spiritual person who practices Reiki and finds inspiration in nature.
Mother of four, grandmother of two, British American dual citizen living in the States
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Marilyn Glover and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (14)
Interesting take on the challenge… I like the optimistic conclusion. All the best.
So poignant & beautifully-crafted. I felt this one in my gut. Praying 4 complete recovery for you... 🙏🏾🩷
Such a personal and thought-provoking piece, Marilyn! The yearning comes through so powerfully!
I could really feel the ache of being left out here. I loved the positive ending!
Solo does not breathe YOLO...now that line is stuck in my brain. Amazing poem
You’ve def got this Marilyn. I don’t think you’re a standing on the sidelines type of person (well not for long anyway). Wishing you all the best.
Solo does not breath YOLO, I especially loved that line. So brilliant! And I know you've got this! Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️
Well, I learnt a new word: immunocompromised. But more importantly, I hope you're not feeling disproportionate to the world around you, Marilyn - the human body can really suck at times when it's not doing what it's supposed to. I loved how you ended this poem - with courage, a new step, and hope!!
I am so sorry you feel like you're standing on the sidelines. Immunocompromised sounds confined and scary. The idea and point of view, that life is like a platform is so intellectually accurate, the thought of it always rotating makes me dizzy. But for you, you have to watch it spinning, while you're off the platform. I am sorry. The up and down round and round bit, makes me think of you replaying this fact in your head again and again and that it plays for you, like a sick joke. 'my situation feels disproportionate to the essence of creation' this was a beautiful line. This illness makes you feel broken, as though you were made wrong. 'Solo does not breathe yolo' now it's hard to choose a favourite line. After the word confinement, I could see that you were comfortably in a flow state. The ending was positive, like a release from the gloom, so you can breathe. I love that for you, Marilyn. This was lovely, crafted by your strength and determination. ❤️🤗
This is really well written. I love the fact that you decided to put caution to the wind just once in order to enjoy the tilts and topples of life! Great work!
You nailed the feeling of hopeless abandonment and struggle to stay afloat in a world that saturated with negativity. Theses lines say so much: Life is a platform Always rotating Always moving Yet, my life remains at a standstill Good-luck in the challenge
That is my favorite ride at fairs and carnivals. For some reason it's the only ride that goes round and round and doesn't make me sick like the merry-go-round. Loved the poem and the image. Great memories.
That's about how the ride of life and these amusement right. Very relatable
Marilyn, no matter what, you've got this.