Featured Poet - Elvira Groenendijk
THE WOODS
In the depths of these woods, where the sun dares not touch the ground
I was looking for the path. I searched, but never found.
I saw an opening, an oasis for which I longed
I laid eyes on this monster, to whom this place belonged.
I begged him, “Take me with you. I’m too tired to go on
“I do not wish to fight you, since you’ve already won.
“Take me in and keep me, for I cannot find my way out
I have lost all my direction. As for hope, I’m left without.”
He asked me, “Tell me truly, is there nothing left for you?
“Though this be the end of sorrow, for joy it shall be, too.”
When I told him no, he came and, with fury, rose above me
“You say your life is weightless, but now tell me what you see.”
And I said, “The ground is shaking underneath your stomping feet
“Your breath, it burns me wholly with its all-destroying heat.
“Your voice consumes my silence, and it takes my peace of mind
“Your stare, it takes the lightness and leaves the vision blind.
“The strongest minds are ruined in the crushing of your grip
“The strongest wills are damaged by the lashing of your whip.
“You bring death and bring destruction to all that’s left of hope
“All gets lost and wilts away in the strangling web you wove.
“There is never any silence in the raging of your storm
“Nor any glimpse of beauty in the taking of your form.
“Your violence and your statue, they relentlessly outweigh me
“In facing you, my Darkness, my courage has betrayed me.
“Finding you, I now regret; you gave me no relief
“Before you gave me back my life, you demanded all my grief.
“You pulled me in and spat me out
“You took my will and left me doubt.
“I gave you life. You showed me death
“You gave me fear and took my breath.”
And he said, “You came to me so desperate, seeking answers about death
“Yet you begged me for your life when I came in and took your breath.
“You think me cruel? You gave your life so willingly and cheap
“I gave you fear to realize your life is yours to keep.
“I’m not the one you’re looking for. You gave me all, I gave it back
“I won’t bring answers anymore. You found me here; now change your track.”
And I told him, “Leave me now. Be on your way. I’ll move forth on my own
“I shall never want for any answer you have shown.
“You’re not my prison, nor salvation
“Not my redemption, nor damnation.”
And he told me, “I’ll go with you, so you do not forget
“I shall be your firm reminder of the life that you have bet.
“You sought me out and found me, just to finally realize
“Even in your darkest hour, I wasn’t your demise.
“You walk beside me now, like an old friend I keep facing
“And I will take you with me to these places most amazing.
“And all along this treacherous and most adventurous way
“I’ll show you Light in Darkness and prove my worth each day.
“And I’ll go on to tell you, I haven’t had enough
“I know this since the day that you spoke up and called my bluff.
“This life is so confusing, so wonderful, and tough
“Yet still I will convince you that I haven’t had enough.
“What is overcoming, when it’s you still by my side
“Accepting, fleeing, changing, you will still be in my life.
“You continuously teach me, though your weight is hard to bear
“You taught me rest and joy, though I tremble in your glare.
“Be it curse or faith or blessing, I will still march to your drum
But through all of life’s confusions, I shall have to overcome.
“Since that day you told me, ‘This is not what you should strive’
When you told me to keep going and face this newfound life.”
And he whispered, “Don’t you miss it. Go be part of the absurd
“Even though you know me, and sometimes it will hurt.
“But I promise you this one thing: It will just be now and then
“And it will not take you long until you overcome again.”
MY SHADOW
You follow me wherever I go.
When the sun lowers, you only grow
Only in darkness can I hide you,
But I will always walk beside you.
You’ll follow wherever I go,
You are my shadow.
THE GATES
I see the gates are all destroyed, their glory in the past
The walls are thick and higher, but in war, they could not last.
I hear the monsters roaring as echoes through the hall
I hear the soldiers mourning as the walls of glory fall.
The towers rise so high, so proudly, higher than the mountain sky
Now they leave cold ashes and a sorrowful battle cry.
The walls of glory fell, and the Darkness dimmed the Light
And the monster’s roar of hell still echoes through the night.
How could a place so blissful fall so rapidly, so fast?
A place of joy and plenty is now haunted by the past.
This place gets ever darker when the clouds fall from the sky
And make their home where I once lived, before this sad goodbye.
Words no voice could ever say, and screams that are still there
A thousand minds could not forget the pain of which I’m still aware.
All those I loved and cherished, I had to leave behind
They leave a hole within my heart, a cavern in my mind.
A tear rolls down my face as I recall those I adore
When I left, my heart lay broken, shattered on the floor.
The voices here still whisper of a love I have let go
A love I still remember, like a summer evening glow.
The winds were softly breathing on that darkened summer night
But all I can remember is the love that I denied.
They will not hear the stories of a time that’s left behind
When words of sorrow echo through a simple “never mind.”
The crystal globe was meant to hold the pain of once before
Now it only shows the grief of a simple “never more.”
THE HOURGLASS
If I could ask God to turn the hourglass
so I could live free before my time has passed
just turn the hourglass before the time has come
for all love has died, and nothing can be done.
If I could ask God to change the course of time
so I could move on and leave it all behind
please don’t give up on me, and turn the hourglass
so I can change before my time will pass.
My world will fall if the last sand drops
and fire will rise past the mountain tops.
Time passes by me, and nothing can be done
now nothing’s left of what I could have become.
My heart is lost and nowhere to be found
my love, I want to turn the time around.
Don’t turn your back and leave this life to pass
or I’ll get lost in the endless hourglass.
IF YOU MUST STAY
If you must stay, be a river,
flow steady on my side.
If you must stay, I’ll show you,
so you don’t have to hide.
If you must speak, do so gently,
so I can tell what’s right.
If you must show me Darkness,
Then I shall show you Light.
~
ABOUT THE POEMS: "The poems are mostly fantasy-themed. Through metaphors and rhyme, they speak about mental health and depression. They talk about the emotional journey as well as hopeful messages. With these poems, I hope to reach those who are experiencing depression and show that they are not alone in their emotional experiences."
ABOUT ELVIRA
Elvira is an author who was born in the Netherlands and later migrated to Switzerland. Writing has been her lifelong passion, ignited in childhood. Dealing with depression and struggling in school, she found this to be a way to put words to her internal struggle. This internal struggle brought unexpected creativity, leading to the creation of her poetry and ultimately to her psychological fantasy novel ‘In the Shadows of the Light’. Elvira now works mainly in schools while keeping her passion for writing alive. Hoping to inspire and give messages of hope to both teenagers and adults.
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