The Other Side
Joe Strickland 1986 (Hobbysville, SC)
The belly-side of contemporary life
Is a place of desperation, pain, and strife
Where each soul struggles to survive
As they navigate their own unique path in this life
There's a deserted husband, lost and alone
Wondering where his love and family have gone
His world has crumbled around him, left him in shambles
Every day feels like a constant battle
As he tries to pick up the pieces of his broken heart
And find a way to make a fresh start
Then there's the unwanted mother, burdened with guilt
Wondering how her life spiraled out of control and wilt
Her addiction consumed her, left her unable to care
For the child she brought into the world and left there
Now she wanders the streets, lost in her own despair
Picking up any scrap of love and comfort she can find, no matter how rare
As she yearns for the love and acceptance she so desperately craves
But which she fears is forever beyond her grasp, forever lost in the waves
The car thief, the pickpocket, the drug addict
All struggle to survive in a world that's hostile and erratic
They each have their own reasons for the path they've taken
But one thing is clear: they're all human and their hearts are aching
For something more than what this life has to offer
For a chance at happiness, for a chance to prosper
But in this belly-side of life, opportunities are hard to come by
And dreams get shattered before they can even take flight
So they cling to what little they have, find comfort in what they can
Try their best to survive, and hope that someday life will take a better stand
For the deserted husband, and the unwanted mother
For the car thief, the pickpocket, and the drug addict, all searching for cover
In a world that often seems more like a battlefield than a paradise
But in the end, their strength and resilience will suffice
For the belly-side of contemporary life is a harsh and unforgiving place
But for those who survive it, there's a chance of finding grace.
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Written on May 17, 2023
Submitted by JoeStrickland on May 17, 2023
- 1:58 min read
- 11 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | A A X A X X X X B B C C D D D D E E X X X X F F X X X X F F G G H H |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,974 |
Words | 387 |
Stanzas | 34 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 |
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"The Other Side" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/159582/the-other-side>.
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