Suzanne Brace is the Poet of the Week for the W3 Prompt #100. Suzanne invites us to go on a free verse journey on the theme of Stranger.
To read Suzanne’s full prompt guidelines, please click here.
Suzanne’s prompt guidelines
- Theme: Last week many of us were strangers to Wagner, so this week’s theme is ‘Stranger’;
- Form: Please take us on an introspective free verse journey;
- This website offers an outline for this form: https://allpoetry.com/
- An introspective poem delves into the depths of the human psyche, exploring the complexities of thought, emotion, and experience. It unveils the innermost recesses of the mind, shedding light on the hidden scars and desires that reside within. Through intricate language and evocative imagery, the poem unravels the tapestry of introspection, capturing the essence of self-discovery, vulnerability, and the search for meaning in the labyrinth of the human heart.
I wrote my poem Introspection in response to this prompt.
Introspection
Introspection
Introspection is not for me,
To look inside would be…
Like opening Pandora’s box,
I couldn’t take the shocks!
What might I find?
Would I find a mind,
with muscle strain?
Would there even be a brain?
What if something is missing?
And I cannot find a thought,
I’d be frantic and worried,
Beefsteak, curried,
And fraught.
To look inside my psyche…
Crikey! Can you imagine what you’d see?
Nah, introspection doesn’t appeal to me.
Is looking inside a good idea?
To look deep within?
Where lurk the lurking shadows of fearful, frightful, fear?
Or where there might roam secret, dream dragons,
in a waging war with sin.
(I read that somewhere)
With so many memories and bygones,
I wouldn’t know where to start.
They say,
at the beginning is best.
How many plasters are stuck to my heart
inside my chest?
Would I find my soul?
Or just a great big hole?
Do you think
I need a shrink?
What if,
I dug down and dwelled on what was deep,
Thought long and hard,
In hypnotised, hypnotic sleep,
To delve through old history,
On a psychologist’s couch,
Brood on ephemeral mystery,
And vouch for what is true.
Does it seem a jolly thing to do?
To find myself, and know who I am?
Or maybe find a stranger…
No. Introspection is not for me.
I don’t want to break the dam.
Anyway, I haven’t got time,
It’s time for tea.
with fruitcake to make,
And a gooseberry jamboree.
~
Lesley Scoble, March 2024
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you, Suzanne for your introspective prompt.
Thank you, David, The Skeptics Kaddish, for hosting your weekly W3 Prompts.
Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.
LesleyScoble.com 
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