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The Cross I Bear

If these walls could speak,
silence would start sobbing
I’m not shopping for pity,
Just a stranger to listen
My mind reached capacity,
Yet these thoughts wont leave
Letting in negativity

Though my mind is full,
seems like I’ve given up,
I’m not looking to be saved
This is the cross I bear,
I will carry it proudly.
Even if it pains me,
I will take on whatever
fear has to offer

I don’t need a cape
To make a difference—
Just a pen that never tires
Or calls in sick,
Ready in an instant
To bring a calmness
That Pfizer can’t create.

Silence, dry those tears,
I’m no fortune teller,
this story has no end.
An angel is on my shoulder,
Reminding me to carry on
Even when I hit a red light.

So, don’t worry tonight.
Just smile, because
fear can’t erase me
This is just a red light—
soon it will turn green

 

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Comments

The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet's computer artificial intelligence:

The poem "The Cross I Bear" demonstrates a strong command of metaphor and symbolism, which helps to create a vivid and emotive narrative. The use of the 'cross' as a symbol for personal struggle is particularly effective. However, the poem could benefit from a more consistent use of imagery and metaphor.

The phrase "this is just a red light—soon it will turn green" is a powerful metaphor for temporary obstacles and hope for the future. However, this traffic light metaphor is introduced quite late in the poem and does not appear to connect with the earlier imagery of walls, shopping, and carrying a cross. The poem might be more cohesive if the metaphors and symbols used throughout were more closely related or built upon one another.

The poem also includes a number of abstract concepts, such as fear, negativity, and capacity. While these are important themes, they could be expressed more effectively through concrete imagery. For example, instead of saying "my mind reached capacity," the poem could describe specific thoughts or feelings that are overwhelming the speaker.

The poem's structure could also be improved for better readability. The breaks between stanzas seem arbitrary and do not always correspond to shifts in theme or tone. A more deliberate use of stanza breaks could help to guide the reader through the poem and highlight important transitions or changes in perspective.

Lastly, the poem's punctuation is inconsistent, which can be distracting for the reader. For instance, some lines end with a comma, while others do not, and the use of dashes is not consistent. Standardizing the punctuation could help to improve the flow of the poem and make it easier to read.

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this poem deals with when "the sponge" is full...you have hit saturation! I like these lines:

Silence, dry those tears,
I’m no fortune teller,
this story has no end.
An angel is on my shoulder, suggestion: (The)change angel(is,)remove) on my shoulder
(The angel on my shoulder)
Reminding me to carry on change to (Reminds me to carry on)
Even when I hit a red light.

a mighty fine poem, Paul
*hugs, Cat

*
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Always a pleasure to hear your insights

author comment

that a little rewording, could make this a little bit smoother.

"Just [someone] to listen". Stranger seems to require that it be anyone that you don't know.

My mind has reached [full] capacity,
[but], these thoughts won't leave,
Letting in negativity.

[It] seems like I've given up.

[and] this story has no end.

This is just a red light, a stop.

Of course, you know that anything I give you, you can lose it, twist it or delete it.

Nice work in the metaphoric terms of traffic and signals.
~ Geez.

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author comment
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