My artifice

My Friend,
heed my words,
lend your ears,
ease your guard,
so that I may take from you
more than I give.

Lax your eyes, but
veil your heart
and cover your ears
to all others but me.
I'll keep your trust
under lock and key.

Worry no more-no need to
succumb to such labor.
Rest your burdens upon me.
I'll slave to the end of days
to put your struggles at end.
So do not ponder; do not think.
Why go through such trouble, when one (such as I) who knows you most,
can do it for you?

Comments & reviews · 4
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User avatar
antimelrose
Review

This was an interesting piece of work, and my qualms about it are few. The first is just plain subjective: I don't think that "Friend" in the first stanza needs to be capitalized. I can understand why one might do so, (perhaps an act of respect?), but it really comes across distracting.

I concur with the others that the "Why think?" line should be reworded better. It is rather jolting, but I don't think it ought to necessarily be deleted.

Other than that, you have crafted a poem that I intend to thumb's up. I especially enjoyed your phrases like "lax your eyes", etc.

See you around,

–antimelrose

User avatar
Kale
Review
Kale wrote a review · Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:17 am

This was a nice, simple poem, and I enjoyed reading it. :D

I agree with Juniper: the first line of the third stanza needs some work. I would suggest rephrasing the first and second lines to something like this: "Worry not -- there's no need / to succumb to labor."

Why think? When those

Should be "Why think when those" as it is all part of one question.

User avatar
Juniper
Review

Hey, Ray!

Such a pretty poem!


In the third stanza, the first line stumbles. I'm not sure that no more-no reads as smoothly as it should (and as a side note, a dash is two hyphens, dear). The third line sounds like a fragment because of how short the sentence is compared to the others; I'd end that line with a semicolon instead of a period.


"Why think?" sounds a little awkward -- maybe reword it so it's an indirect question?


Aside, I really liked this poem (-clicks like button-); it's been a while since I've read something simplistic and thoroughly enjoyable. Two thumbs up, and keep writing. I loved this, even if it's not the most original idea ever. :D


Write more, please.

June



Meet me in Montauk.
— Charlie Kaufman