Analysis of Shadowed Desires

Joe Strickland 1986 (Hobbysville, SC)



Maybe I was lacking,
In the dark corners
Of desire,
The unsatisfied
Longings,
That tangle
Through the night.

It was possible,
To search for
Skin on skin,
To crave connection,
And yearn for
Release.

I often felt inferior,
In the glossy world
Of bodies,
Measured against
Ideals,
Created by
Invisible hands.

I just wanted
To get away from them,
To escape
The whispers of judgment,
And the weight
Of expectation,
That pressed against
My chest.

But there was no place
To go,
No refuge
Untouched by desire.
The pulse
Of want,
Always follows
Like a shadow. 

And there isn't
A room or place
Dark enough
To extinguish
That shadow.


Scheme XXAXXBX BCXDCX AXXEXXX XXXFXDEX GHXAXXXH FGXXH
Poetic Form
Metre 101110 00110 1010 0010 10 110 101 11100 111 111 11010 011 01 11010100 00101 110 1001 01 0101 01001 1110 110111 101 010110 001 1010 1101 11 11111 11 110 011010 01 11 110 101 0110 0111 101 1010 11
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 646
Words 153
Sentences 7
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 7, 6, 7, 8, 8, 5
Lines Amount 41
Letters per line (avg) 12
Words per line (avg) 3
Letters per stanza (avg) 82
Words per stanza (avg) 18
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Written on July 12, 2023

Submitted by JoeStrickland on July 12, 2023

46 sec read
4

Joe Strickland

I'm just a regular, blue collar, working stiff who took an interest in writing poetry many years ago but until recently I haven't had a desire to share any with anyone or pursue publication. I'm an unpublished fork lift operator by night, and a day drinker by choice. I can be followed on Twitter @JoeStricklandSC more…

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