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Wednesday, May 04, 2016

The Utility of Secrets

The secret
sits like
a land mine,
waiting for
accidental discovery.

It may never be
activated,
but that gives me
no comfort.

Perhaps
the secret will go
all the way
to my grave,
as, happily,
all the witnesses
will have met
with tragic accidents.

The secret
reminds me
that when I look
in the mirror,
I do not see
a free man,
but rather
an indentured servant
forever paying
interest only
on a debt
only blood can satisfy.

Most days
I forget the secret
is there,
but when things
are running smoothly (too smoothly),
and my heart is light (too light),
and the sun is shining (too bright),

I tempt fate, pondering
what could
possibly
go wrong?

The secret ensures
that I am never
too happy
and never too secure.

It keeps me
necessarily
humble,

and if you knew
my secrets,
you’d know why
I need the lessons
of humility.

[Written for Poets United - come out and play.]

22 comments:

  1. The secret "rules" all.

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  2. "an indentured servant, forever paying interest on a debt only blood can satisfy". Wow, that is a fantastic line! You have captured well here how a secret can weigh on one. So well done, Mosk.

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  3. Mosk, would you please email me at wildwoman2@shaw.ca ? I have a question to ask....smiles......

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  4. Very good response. Secrets can wreck our lives!

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  5. Ominous. Such a secret is useful to the entire society. The poem sets up a great character--like a catcher in the rye. I love it! (But what if it is a power that would change society for the better?

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  6. Lovely write. Lessons in humility cannot be that bad

    Much love...

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  7. There is a dark side in this piece but, some secrets teach humility and I have to wonder what might the secret be?

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  8. You had me at the opening lines :D Brilliant write Mosk :D

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  9. We all need to find our way to humility--and secrets, well they can do that--Love the tone in this Mosk--

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  10. I would agree that we are servants to the secrets (or lies) that we keep. Your conclusion the antidote.

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  11. Anonymous6:38 PM

    Wow.. that's deep. Wonderfully written.

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  12. Wow.. that's deep. Wonderfully written.

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  13. landmine type of secret will definitely snatch the sleep of night...quite naturally humility is the by product of that...whew...well said....

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  14. Secrets are such heavy burdens and no matter the passing of time or the absence of interest they still eat away at the keeper of them. Glad it's you not me that is the keeper of them.

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  15. Secrets are indeed power - in the wrong hands.. skilfully written with a simmering hint of danger just below the surface..

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  16. So true what you say about secrets, they can enslave. I like the last stanza which made me think that secrets do have an aspect of grandiosity and once revealed they don't seem so important. At least I think that's what you meant about humility.

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  17. Ah! That's a wonderful write.
    -HA

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  18. Wow. This is all truth, Mosk.

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  19. This is so smart, so self-aware. Wow. Excellent poem.

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  20. We all have our secrets and some can cause great harm - to ourselves and to others. To live with a dark secret and carry on with life in a semblance of normality takes great strength. You poem describes this very well...

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  21. We all have our secrets and some can cause great harm - to ourselves and to others. To live with a dark secret and carry on with life in a semblance of normality takes great strength. You poem describes this very well...

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