Our orbits, itineraries; the days of our past
The birds they are chirping
In part because of you
With a flap of the wings
They chirp to stay true
They know all of your pain
Knowing not of your name
Full of feeling and life
Hope you feel them the same
Pull you out of a dream
A memory in your brain
A better time passed
Or a moment maintained
Glancing stare at the mirror
Run away from disdain
We are all guilty
Of indulging in vain
Soon after the shower
Then back to the sink
Nowhere between
Any reason to think
The first beep right after
Or sometimes just before
Each beep thereafter
Defiant even more
The coffee maker, a pickup truck,
The fireman, your neighbor
Not much worth a care
For those who do labor
The mailman quotidian
Ever-present construction
A nuisance at best
But always disruption
Just twist and unwind
Color outside the lines
FedEx UPS
Or an ambulance this time
Whether churning or chime
Another attention suck
Those of us who work
Can't afford to give a f*ck
They sneak in from out there
The beeps are always near
Hiding gets you nowhere
They're even part of your gear
Don't hurry, you'll bind
Stay true to the task
They'll keep digging deep
Though its too much to ask
Enough to bring doubt
About what is real
Or so it would seem
How one ought feel
But ah there's that verb
I've known to have heard
That subtle chirping
My neighborhood bird
One living so free
A bird once like me
No angle she cant see
No person she cant be
Not a drone to compare
Nor a tone worth a care
All in a days work
Perched up on a tree
With nowhere to be
And nothing to do
Maybe she'll speak
To the birdie in you
Whats real, I tell you,
Is only whats after
It's sometimes found
In moments of laughter
A pregnant pause and
We all fix attuned
The moment then passes
Not a moment too soon
Our only fear was
To have taken the chance
Poised to hold court or
In chasing romance
Though sometimes they'll laugh
In others they'll cry
It wasn't ever real unless
You though you could die
Our orbits, itineraries
The days of our past
The rhythm moves slow
Despite the pace being fast
Do as the bird looking up to the sky
Keep doing whatever
But think to ask why
Orbits and itineraries
Lay out boundaries for you
Lest you remember
What that birdie taught you
The beeps and the sirens
If you let them will do
As the bite in their words
And penetrate through
Having trekked through your route
With another day gone
Its back to the devices
The ones that stay on
Wonder why you are bound
To this empty rhythm so
Confined by decisions with
Your ducks in a row
Take a moment to ponder
Stomach what you don't know
Their beeps and stern faces
Could be making you go
Your orbits, itineraries
And not just your name
Will come to define you
In fortune and fame
So blazing your trail
Spread your wings to take flight
Despite knowing you'll fail
Trying hard as you might
Your freedom will lift you
And make you feel light
When you hear the dogs bark
You're doing it right
So value this lesson
In beating the game
Their faces once hostile
Have now become tame
The beeps will else own you
Their faces will fade
Stay true and remember
That bed where you've laid
Your orbits (where you go)
And itineraries (what you do)
They can end up being
Whatever you want them to
Go back to that dream
With your eyes to the sky
And let your imagination
Answer your why
Your eyes will then shimmer
You might feign a smile
Go back to that memory
It had been a while
Take in whats real
Let the rest go
Come morning they'll chirp
And this time you'll know
About this poem
A comment on our perception and life's reception. Inspired by a hostess-muse; ranked among the US Armed Forces. A better military is possible
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Written on February 23, 2022
Submitted by whozum_the_poet on January 28, 2024
- 3:36 min read
- 15 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABXB CDXD ECFX GCHC GIXI GJGJ KGLG CMXM NXXO OKPA LQLQ NRXR XSES XTAT HHHH LLPH HBXB BGUG XXVX XWJWXXXX YFZF XGX YBGB XBXB XXVX UZXZ GZVZ YDBD 1 2 1 2 B2 X2 MDXD B3 G3 ZBAB EXMX G4 H4 SZXZ |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 4,082 |
Words | 704 |
Stanzas | 36 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Our orbits, itineraries; the days of our past" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/179532/our-orbits,-itineraries;-the-days-of-our-past>.
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