I Shall Not Be Small (5 syllable meter)

Steven Dupere 1963 (MA)

April 24

When he was a boy,
Life was dramatic --
He learned to be small
Safe in the attic.

Invisible child,
As slight as his word,
Made to be silent,
A shadow unheard.

Talk was restricted,
Speaking forbidden --
He dared not a peep,
His thoughts kept hidden.

They shunned him away,
Both mother and he --
Alone was the son
They wished would unbe.

Bent but not broken,
He hid out of sight,
Nothing was granted
To fight the good fight.

He prayed that one day
He'd come to forsake
All they had broken
He'd fight to unbreak.

The lonely young boy
Grew fearless and brave,
The mirror foretold
The one he would save.

His fear became strength,
One voice to resound,
Ne'er to be silenced,
To this was he bound.

The child forgotten
Remembered his past
He would not be scant,
Nor neither outcast.

You see I am he
To whom I refer
The one forgotten
To whom I defer.

I am the offspring
To be tossed aside
That needed a love
They could not provide

Made to feel worthless
I was that young lad,
Forgotten by mom,
Forsaken by dad.

I now know the truth
That I was not wrong.
Their words have no say
Their music no song.

I was not nothing
As made to recall,
For now I proclaim,
"I SHALL NOT BE SMALL."

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Written on April 02, 2024

Submitted by Symmetry60 on April 02, 2024

Modified by Symmetry60 on May 08, 2024

: 1:22 min read
: 225 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	ABCB XDXD EFXF GHFA FIEI GXFB AJXJ XKXK FLXL HMFM NOXO XPXP XQGQ NCXC
Closest metre	Iambic trimeter
Characters	1,187
Words	274
Stanzas	14
Stanza Lengths	4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Full analysis for I Shall Not Be Small (5 syllable meter) »

Steven Dupere

With a book of poetry to boast, Waltz of Semantic Tongues, Steven has been challenging nervous canvases for more time than time can shake an eon at. This is a shard of that fallout. more…

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11 Comments

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LatinX
Steven!!! I applaud you! Bravo! I felt this poem deeply.
LikeReply 115 hours ago
- Symmetry60
  I find this piece to be adequate for the bottom line which are the duckie$$$. It suffices even though it's only average for my taste. If it gets me in the "Dollar" column, I'm all about it. ;-) more »
  LikeReply14 hours ago
JanosThanatos
Really powerful stuff. It's always inspiring to hear the testimony of those ash-risen phoenixes for whom the ordeals of yesteryear serve, not as excuses, but as wellsprings of the spirit that invigorate their will to overcome. more »
LikeReply 12 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Isn't poetry great and that it affords us a multiplicity of benefits that allow us to grow as individuals. These are medicinal to so many degrees that without them I feel we'd be left more stagnant in our thoughts and outlooks. I love writing, as I'm sure we all do. I also love reading good poetry. This one, for my taste, was average at best, but did manage to convey the sentiment I sought, as well to maintain the integrity of syllabic meter I was aiming for. Thank you for your time and thoughts. more »
  LikeReply2 days ago
Philipo
Fine work as usual. Congrats.
LikeReply 12 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Thank you very much for the encouraging words. I appreciate it.
  LikeReply2 days ago
Chana
I almost voted for this one. It's so nurturing to the once invisible child. My inner child is proud with u. NO, YOU SHALL NOT BE SMALL!
LikeReply11 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Therein lay the irony and that we incur growth from having overcome all such tribulation. I appreciate your kind words. Thank you very much.
  LikeReply11 days ago
susan.brumel
Empowering poem, Steve. Great piece.
LikeReply 111 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Thank you, Suzie. You're a darling.
  LikeReply 111 days ago
npirandy
Well done old friend! It's about time you were awarded again for your mastery of rhyme and meter. But I was unaware of your plight. You have obviously PREVAILED!
LikeReply11 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Only had to bribe three for the showing, so who am I to complain a few Benjamins into a 3rd place slot. Sometimes a dude gotta flex a little cashola to get the people pointed in a direction. On a serious note, I very much appreciate the kind words. At this rate I'll be out of debt by 2040. See you on the playground, brother. more »
  LikeReply11 days ago
- acronimous
  ROTFL :-)
  LikeReply 111 days ago
Vixility
Dude!! I’m a sucker for meter, and the message of your poem—wow! This one was on my top top pinned list. Congratulations on the win.
LikeReply 211 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Like I just said to Sue, I knew this one lost a bit of feel, but the syllabic meter, I believe, may have compensated. I wanted to convey the sentiment without losing too much heart, so this one was a push-pull for sure. Still a line or two I'm not crazy about, but I can work on that later. As always, your opinion is valued and valuable as is your talent to be commended. more »
  LikeReply 111 days ago
hamiltonkim03
A very heart felt poem. Well done on coming third. Kim
LikeReply 111 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Thank you very much, Kim. That means a lot. :-)
  LikeReply 111 days ago
xmasday65
I enjoyed how this was written. Easy to follow the thoughts and has a very nice rhythm.
LikeReply11 days ago
- Symmetry60
  This was a challenge for sure with the 5 syllabic meter, but I loved the entire process. Thank you very much for the vote. I appreciate it.
  LikeReply11 days ago
cfox57
I read all the entries for this month's contest and there were many deserving a second look. There were several poems which had a well presented creativity and message placing them above the rest of the group, so after narrowing down to five and then down to two, I found this one most deserving of my vote. In addition to the admirable and impressive message, it was written very consistently in the 5 syllable meter throughout the entire poem which is an excellent achievement in itself. more »
LikeReply 111 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Your words humble me. Your response is so well articulated and thought out. This is one of the best comments I've ever gotten. Thank you.
  LikeReply 111 days ago
BetsyStephens
This is a beautifully written poem about survival against all odd.
LikeReply 111 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Thank you so much, Betsy. You are too kind.
  LikeReply11 days ago

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"I Shall Not Be Small (5 syllable meter)" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/187154/i-shall-not-be-small-(5-syllable-meter)>.

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