First, a Confession From My Younger Self
As a child, let’s just say I had more pressing concerns on my way to school—like planning all the things I would buy, eat and enjoy before gracing the classroom, or all the gallivanting and gossip I was waiting to indulge in with my friends. Academics just seemed far less interesting because I could not eat it, gallivant with it or gossip with it.
However, something unexpected happened. God saw the direction I was heading in and miraculously showed me that my mind held far more potential than childhood mischief by introducing me to the wonders of reading during the latter years of my schooling. I was surprised to discover a newfound love not only for reading, but for writing as well.
From there, it followed me like a lifelong companion, occasionally finding its way onto the page in poems like “He Took You Away.”
Now, Let’s Proceed With the Muse
As someone who is mostly solitary by nature, I realize that unless I find meaningful ways to occupy my time, I face the possibility of relapsing into the younger version of myself who delighted in mischief. Therefore, my love for literature is both a passion and a law enforcer that keeps me out of trouble. Yes, it was on a still night, with the rain falling outside, that I sat alone in my room, fully content with my book and pen while searching for my next muse. I was listening to a narration of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee,” accompanied by haunting yet beautiful background music and ambience.
Then my mind took flight on a muse that somehow allowed me to experience the emotions the poet shared about death, loss and sorrow. My hands began to write almost like a plane on autopilot, guided by the realization that we are all subjected to death and loss because, in one way or another, they will eventually visit us all.
Writing this poem became my way of coming to terms with that reality as I took on the persona of someone who had lost their dearly beloved.
More Than Just a Persona
I have always been a practical individual who is capable of coming to terms with some of life’s most difficult pills to swallow—not because I have perfected the art of swallowing pills, but because I have always been able to ponder life, accept what is and try to find ways of living within it while collecting the little moments. Those moments might seem minuscule to others, like sitting beneath a tree, walking the beach alone at night, or enjoying special moments with friends and family. Yet when I look back and reflect, it is those beautiful small moments that have fuelled me with enough joy, dreams and wonder to outride the stormier seasons of life.
Even imagined scenarios, like being deeply in love and then losing that person, can become meaningful experiences in their own way. Half of that I blame on the symptoms of being a bachelor whose most tangible relationships sometimes exist entirely in his mind.
But still, I love my mind and its ability to find peace in the worlds I create from pen and paper. There is something comforting about being able to explore emotions, loss, love and even realities I have never personally experienced, simply by allowing my imagination to take over and seeing where it leads me.
Want to Explore More Poems About Love and Heartbreak?
Poems About Love, Heartbreak and Saying Goodbye
This poem is part of my growing collection exploring love, heartbreak, loss and the emotions behind saying goodbye. Discover the other poems and the personal stories that inspired them.
Where Does Your Mind Take You?
Sometimes a poem, song or quiet moment can awaken thoughts we did not know were waiting to be explored. What has inspired you to reflect, create or see life from a different perspective?
