"Pendulum"

[gunwithoutmusic]

The pendulum swings wildly,
From one end to the other
In an aleatory motion;
There is no prediction to make,
No certainty to find there.

The undulations of moods
Wreak havoc on psyches,
Where they necessarily
Are released into
An unguarded mind.

As cities build walls
To protect and isolate,
So do I, in a foolhardy attempt
To stop my moods
From matching yours,

To stop my mind from spinning
When you walk in the room.

Comments

[murielle]

(Had to look up "aleatory" and that's good for me--thank you.)

Your poetry always touches me with its truth and intimacy and beauty. <3

[adoptedwriter]

Emotional defense. It’s real. Sometimes you have to protect yourself.

[bleodswean]

Your poetry is always so Immediate while your Prose is more Reflective. It's an interesting dichotomy, S! I really liked the punch of this one.

[halfshellvenus]

I liked aleatory too! And looked it up, and saw the Latin root "alea" (dice) in there, which was interesting.

It's hard to find the balance between being overwhelmed by others and being too closed-off. I have found that for me, there is often an individual formula. So much depends on the personality (moods, mood swings, and intensity) of the other person.

[alycewilson]

Sounds like the experience one would have with someone who has wild mood swings.

[swirlsofpurple]

Such a painful truth held in these stanzas