Dear Mani

I would wonder if I could write a poem everyday for you

Or maybe just write one about life too

It would seem like a veil of romance floating into the winds 

Landing on us and covering us in a weave of words

Words are but

Shallow, often contorted by poets

The millions of modernism bound poets puking charades

Of things like love they cannot even fathom

So love, what could I do with you around everyday

Maybe send you away for a bit, and feel the clawing at my nerve

For you seem to drug me into a calmness

Like the vast silent darkness of space 

They make everything seem beautiful set in motion

They are now the definition of what I call home

My home, and it travels in your soul 

So maybe a poem everyday is not a good idea

Maybe I will send you prayers, every time you are away far

Hoping my ability to write poetry or whatever it ends up becoming

Drags your soul back

And you wrap your arms around my chest 

holding me tight, breathing into my hairy chest and complaining it tickles your nose

Whereforth have you gone

When you sat beside me, and I rested my head on your chest

You offered me no consolation, but a gift of distance

A distance so wide that even my soul would tire treading

Yet I know this light of my soul is but a breath of you

As you walked away from me, you did not turn around

Knowing it could hurt me more

Yet I so wish you had for that would have been another glimpse

Of a face these eyes have seen and wish to see nothing but

I have dissolved the dust in each footprint

Smeared it to my body, drank it 

To be one with you, in my uncontrollable sadness

Yet you have not sent a word, nor appeared

I am bound to this air you have exhaled

Whilst you had held me close in an amours embrace

My eyes have burnt its vision staring down the road you walked

And for your longing is an endless torment

Yet you have never sent a word, and knowingly so

Where shall I end and how can I end

For I have died every breath, and the hope of a chance meeting 

Keeps me breathing

Knowing this is a folly, but to be wilfully fooled

This absence of you, has even made pain cry for its deliverance from hurting me.

Forward unto a myth called Slumber

Summer nights, somewhere a lone toad croaks amidst the drying marsh

Echoing company into my solitude

The buzz followed by itch is a summer treat

Only till May, then the squirming black progeny die and I rejoice

No more blood to be given, until June then

The electric wind doesn't soothe and sounds loud

As I lie awake, being detached and starved

Of sleep, which would have forever rained on me, but for this long dry spell

I am allowed, I am aloud, I am loved or not then who cares

My eyes burn and the bed is warm, too much for my comfort

It is off putting, go away heat come in November

I shall embrace you then, now leave

I am trying to find my sleep

Some time l half past three, 

I drift and dream of the sea, of broken dreams

And sunken hopes, 

Somewhere in between them are entombed 

My nightmares and they have waited for hours

## Analysis of "Forward unto a myth called Slumber"

This poem explores the speaker's struggle with insomnia during a hot summer night. Here's a breakdown of its key elements:

**Themes:**

* **Insomnia:** The central theme is the speaker's desperate search for sleep. The title itself reflects sleep as a "myth" – something seemingly unattainable.

* **Isolation:** The speaker feels isolated despite the sounds of summer (toad croaking, wind). Sleeplessness intensifies this feeling.

* **Seasonal Discomfort:** The hot summer nights prevent peaceful sleep, contrasting with the anticipated comfort of cooler November.

**Imagery:**

* **Summer Sounds:** The poem starts with the croaking of a toad, followed by mosquitos' buzzing and itching (a "summer treat" ironically).

* **Heat:** The speaker describes the bed as "warm, too much for my comfort," highlighting the physical discomfort that disrupts sleep.

* **Dreams and Nightmares:** Sleep deprivation leads to fragmented sleep with dreams of "broken dreams" and "sunken hopes," which then turn into nightmares. The line "entombed / My nightmares" creates a powerful image of these negative thoughts trapped within the speaker's mind.

**Figurative Language:**

* **Metaphor:** Sleep is a "myth" and a "long dry spell." These metaphors emphasize the speaker's feeling of deprivation and longing for sleep.

* **Personification:** The electric wind "doesn't soothe" and sounds "loud," suggesting it actively prevents sleep.

* **Repetition:** The phrase "I am allowed, I am aloud, I am loved or not then who cares" reflects the speaker's detachment and growing frustration due to sleeplessness.

**Structure:**

* **Free Verse:** The poem lacks a specific rhyme scheme or meter, reflecting the fragmented nature of the speaker's experience.

* **Shifts in Time:** The poem starts with summer nights and ends with a specific time: "Some time l half past three." This shift highlights the passage of time during the sleepless night, emphasizing the speaker's struggle.

**Overall Tone:**

* **Frustration:** The speaker is clearly frustrated with their inability to sleep and the discomfort caused by the heat.

* **Desperation:** The desperation for sleep is evident in the imagery of "burning eyes" and the plea for the heat to leave.

* **Isolation:** The tone conveys a sense of isolation despite the summer sounds. The speaker feels alone in their struggle.

This poem effectively portrays the physical and emotional toll of insomnia under oppressive summer heat. Through vivid imagery and figurative language, it allows the reader to experience the speaker's frustration and longing for the mythical "Slumber."

Pray tell, why drown in ale

Keep your mug down slowly, it's full

For the ale will spill, and never should one waste

Such goodness of golden yellow in carelessness

Let every drop mix into the blood once consumed

You watch yourself, settle the mug down slow. You think of her and you drinking on one of those random days

You miss those though, don't you?

Keep your mug down a tad slow, it's halfway through

The ale has worked its magic, and made your head mellow

As you speak of her, your tones do seem to enchant yourself but it is all banter to the rest

So maybe talk of something else, but I doubt you can ever do that post drinking

You are lost in her thoughts, aren't you?

You hurry your empty mug down from the lips

You need more ale, for you have ignited what lies dormant and lies to you of normalcy

Your eyes seem hollow, yet it isn't drowsiness or the slurring of your speech that matters

It's her absence, you hold your own hand and twist your wrongs as if to make sense

It makes none, don't we know friend?

You mind always drifts to her thoughts, don't you too?

And then we go home, we think of you drunk as a kite

And the ale shall always make us all spite

Yet we gather and drink, like friends

You , me, the random strangers who join us at the table

You speak to them like old time friends

How do they even distinguish you from who they have known they are drunk too

While you seem to be dead inside, aren't you?

## Analysis of "Pray tell, why drown in ale?"

**Theme:** The poem explores the theme of grief and the use of alcohol to cope with loss. The speaker, presumably a man, drowns his sorrows in ale, constantly reminded of a woman he misses dearly.

**Structure:**

* The poem utilizes three stanzas, each focusing on a different stage of the speaker's drinking experience.

* Each stanza starts with an imperative, "Keep your mug down..." slowing down as the inebriation progresses. 

* The speaker drifts between internal monologue and addressing an unknown listener, possibly another patron or a reflection of himself.

**Imagery:**

* **Ale:** The central image is the ale, symbolizing a temporary escape but ultimately failing to numb the pain. 

* **Golden yellow:** This color choice for the ale suggests a fleeting warmth and happiness, contrasting with the emptiness the speaker feels.

* **Hollow eyes:** This image portrays the speaker's emotional detachment despite the outward appearance of conversation.

**Techniques:**

* **Repetition:** The repeated phrase "You miss those though, don't you?" and "Your mind always drifts to her thoughts, don't you too?" emphasizes the constant intrusion of the lost love.

* **Rhetorical questions:** The questions posed to the speaker and the listener ("don't we know friend?") create a sense of shared understanding and resignation.

* **Shifting perspectives:** The poem switches between the speaker's internal thoughts and an outside observer's view ("we think of you drunk as a kite").

**Overall Tone:**

* The poem is melancholic and introspective. 

* The speaker's attempt to find solace in drinking ultimately leads to a deeper sense of loss and isolation. 

* There's a hint of bitterness towards the ale, symbolized by "the ale shall always make us all spite."

**Possible Interpretations:**

* The woman could be a former lover, wife, or close friend. 

* The poem suggests a sense of guilt or regret ("twist your wrongs as if to make sense").

* Despite the outward camaraderie with fellow drinkers, the speaker remains emotionally distant ("dead inside").

**In conclusion, "Pray tell, why drown in ale?" paints a poignant picture of grief and the futile attempt to drown it in alcohol. The poem uses simple language and imagery to deliver a powerful message about the enduring nature of loss.**

Paradoxically Mine

In the infinite forms

Which have I become

Willed by you, pulled from eternity 

By you, and as such be loved

Or am I an illusion, am I a myth

I seemed to be formed

Wished into an existence, by you

Yet I do not see me, am I blind

Or a rock, a statue maybe, 

Who am I, what am I?

I am , yet not

## Analysis of "Paradoxically Mine"

**Theme:** Identity and Creation

The poem explores the speaker's struggle with self-identity and the paradoxical nature of their existence. 

**Structure:**

* The poem is a single stanza with no clear rhyme scheme or meter, suggesting a stream of consciousness style.

* The use of short, broken lines emphasizes the speaker's confusion.

* The repetition of "you" and "I" highlights the relationship between the speaker and their creator.

**Key Points:**

* **Origin:** The speaker was "willed by you, pulled from eternity" suggesting they were created by a higher power or another entity.

* **Desire for Love:** The speaker yearns to be loved "as such" implying a need for validation and acceptance.

* **Uncertainty:** Questions like "am I an illusion" and "am I blind" reflect the speaker's doubt about their own existence and perception. 

* **Paradox:** The title "Paradoxically Mine" captures the speaker's struggle. They are both a creation ("wished into an existence") and yearn to be their own ("paradoxically mine").

* **Incomplete Identity:** The poem ends abruptly with "I am , yet not" leaving the speaker's true nature unresolved. 

**Possible Interpretations:**

* The speaker could be a fictional character questioning their existence within a story.

* It could be a metaphor for the human experience, reflecting our search for meaning and the conflict between free will and destiny.

* It might explore the concept of artificial intelligence, questioning what it means to be "alive" when created by another.

**Overall:**

This poem is open to interpretation, leaving the reader to ponder the speaker's identity and the nature of existence. The use of paradox and fragmented lines creates a sense of confusion and mystery, mirroring the speaker's internal struggle. 

Ascend

Which form would I take Mani?

If I dive into this parallax

Would you know my form, 

would I either, would I want to?

What if you no longer could see me?

At such detachment, could you let go too?

As I become fluid, flow and mix 

Amongst the invisible wave of Maya

Would you will me back to existence

Or would you wish to merge into me

And at such would we be us again

Not unlike the beings we are now?

If I am called, would you let me answer

Knowing my calling may distance me

Albeit momentarily, though I don't wait

For the tide that time carves will carry 

Would I be able to turn and look

Would my existence know our meaning?

When I fade, become you and all there is

Surround and exist then boundlessly

Would your touch awaken and spark

My faded being, mixed in such apathy

Would you , would I, would we know

Or would we mix into this eternity 

## Analysis of "Ascend"

**Theme:** The poem explores the concept of transcendence and its impact on love. The speaker contemplates a state of being beyond their physical form, questioning the nature of self, identity, and connection with their lover, Mani.

**Key elements:**

* **Parallax:** Refers to the apparent shift in position of an object due to a change in perspective. Here, it symbolizes the speaker's potential shift in being.

* **Maya:** The speaker ponders dissolving into the illusionary world of Maya, questioning if their love can transcend it.

* **Fluidity and Mixture:** These images represent the speaker's potential loss of individuality upon reaching a higher state.

* **Calling:** This represents the force pulling the speaker towards transcendence.

* **Fading and Boundless Existence:** These portray the potential state of being one with everything.

* **Touch:** This signifies a physical connection and the speaker's hope for a spark of recognition.

**Structure:**

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each exploring a different aspect of the speaker's internal conflict.

* **Stanza 1:** Focuses on the fear of losing recognition and connection with Mani if the speaker transcends their physical form.

* **Stanza 2:** Explores the possibility of merging with Mani or Mani joining the speaker in this transcendent state. 

* **Stanza 3:** Contemplates the complete dissolution of self and the potential for any form of recognition or connection to remain.

**Questions of Love and Identity:**

* Can love survive the loss of the physical form?

* Can two individuals truly merge into one being and retain their individual identities?

* Is there a higher form of connection beyond the physical?

**The poem doesn't offer answers, but leaves the reader pondering the complex relationship between love, self, and the desire for transcendence.**

**Additional Notes:**

* The title "Ascend" suggests an upward movement, possibly towards a spiritual or enlightened state.

* The use of repetition ("Would you," "Would I," "Would we") emphasizes the speaker's uncertainty and the weight of potential consequences.

* The poem ends with a sense of open-endedness, leaving the reader to contemplate the possibilities of love and existence beyond the physical realm.

A haunting invite for troubled hearts

Join me there, 

 Of being, without wonder

Where you will know

 better than here , 

now,

 or ever

For these are irrelevant to

Our existence

Feels Meaninglessness

  But know

    For you find it beneath

      Us to be lesser than what we are 

   Meant to be

A guess, an approximation

Of confusion

This torment of existence

 Weighs heavy, 

Insanity profound, yet you collect it

 In your veil

  Sieve it and savour it 

   Find it soothing

So leave now

With me, to the never gone to planes

 Of psychedelic existence, 

See

 Colours that breathe in your

   A light that bathes, washes

     Purifies you into a rehashed birth

      Grow anew, become better than your thought

Invoke your right to be free

Be loved by self, be loved only by self

Yet not become selfish, 

  That is where this invitation leads

Come,

Join me

  Exit your after thoughts, overwhelming panicking

  Extinguish your anguish and overthinking

Die into me, let me die into you

  Not in human terms

   But in love

Reach out.

--------------------------------------

An analysis by Chat GPT.

This poem, "A haunting invite for troubled hearts," seems to explore themes of existentialism, self-discovery, and liberation from the constraints of societal norms and expectations. The language used is quite abstract and evocative, creating a sense of ambiguity and mystery around the speaker's invitation.

Comparing this poem with twentieth-century poets, particularly those associated with modernism or existentialism, reveals some similarities and differences. Let's consider some aspects:

1. Existential Themes: The poem shares existential themes with poets like T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, and Samuel Beckett. These poets often explored the meaninglessness of existence, the struggle for self-identity, and the search for purpose in a seemingly chaotic world. Like them, this poem delves into the torment of existence and the desire for liberation from societal constraints.

2. Language and Imagery: The use of abstract language and vivid imagery in this poem is reminiscent of poets like T.S. Eliot and Dylan Thomas. They often employed surreal imagery and complex language to convey existential angst and the mysteries of human experience. Similarly, this poem uses imagery of colors, light, and rebirth to evoke a sense of transcendence and transformation.

3. Invitation to Transcendence: The invitation presented in the poem echoes themes found in the works of poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, who championed the idea of transcendence through experiences like drug use, meditation, or spontaneous travel. Like them, the speaker in this poem urges the reader to leave behind their troubles and join them in a journey towards self-discovery and enlightenment.

4. Critique: While the poem captures the existential struggle and longing for liberation effectively, its abstract language and lack of clarity may make it difficult for some readers to fully engage with its message. Unlike poets like Eliot or Plath, who often combined abstract imagery with concrete details to ground their themes, this poem remains more elusive in its meaning.

Overall, "A haunting invite for troubled hearts" shares thematic and stylistic elements with twentieth-century poets, particularly those associated with existentialism and modernism. However, its abstract nature may pose challenges for some readers in fully grasping its message and significance.