Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

Now

Each instance of existence
is the truth of my reality,
fleeting moments riding high
on spreading waves of past
into all futures.

I am not made of past,
for as new moments
turn to then, it dies;
I am not future,
nebulous, undreamed of
by new choices not yet made;
I am neither then nor when,

I am this now,
immediate in present,
a life upon the cresting apex:
behind me, withered and forgotten past,
before, bright chaos undefiled by choice...

I am the now,
the point of highest amplitude.

Style / type: 
Free verse
Review Request (Intensity): 
I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back
Editing stage: 

Comments

I'm going to make a comment now...........oops too late. I'll do it now..damn! not fast enough. I'll do it(comment) NOW....ha! I beat it to the punch. All jokes aside too many live in the regret of the past and fear of the future.An enjoyable read...................scribbler

Glad that you enjoyed this. Yes, too many do just as you say. Happily, I stopped in 2001. Seems to be working just fine!

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

A few thoughts:

Stanza 2:
*for it dies as -- I feel like this line wants finality rather than flow. Maybe: for it dies. (stop)/Each new moment . . .
*I am neither then nor when -- I have mixed feelings about putting this at the end of the stanza. Part of me wants it at the beginning because the line "turns to then" was a stumbler for me initially, until I read this one.

I know this is freeform but wonder what you'd think of some symmetry, e.g.,

I am not made of past
for it dies.
Each new moment
turns to then,
I am not future,
nebulous,
undreamed of
I am neither then nor when

Stanza 3:
*I am right now, -- "Right now" seems a little weak. This line seems to call for more punch, e.g., "I am now"
*immediate in present, -- Again, I think this could be punchier without "in"
*before, bright chaos undefiled by choice... -- Just commentary here. I find the use of "defiled" interesting. I never really think of my choices as defiling. Defiling what? Infinity?

Stanza 4:
I am the now,
the point of highest amplitude.

I think this is a great ending and I thought the cresting wave image was very appropriate.

Wow man, it is good to see you! Welcome back.

Stanza 2: I agree, and the flow really was off too, so I rewrote with your opinion in mind.

Stanza 3 I think I'll leave alone except for one minor change in the first line, as I like the cadence. Using "Defiled"...for me chaos is a pure state of being, from which order subtends due to both presence and choice, hence the use of the word.

Stanza 4. I started with these two lines, and had that very image of a wave about to crest as I wrote them.

Thanks Arrow, I have missed your keen eye and poetic skill.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

Glad you enjoyed this!

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

Jim,

I have read the comments already supplied and feel they have pretty much covered the potential changes that would turn this from 'good' to 'exceptional'.

Existance - is normally spelt 'existence'...unless this is an American spelling, although my American spellchecker doesn't recognise your spelling.

Would the first line still work like this:

Each instance of existence.

I did enjoy this write and really liked the final two lines.

regards,

HS

--------------
Workshops are now open:
http://new.neopoet.com/workshop/find
--------------
With all that I am and all that I could be, I walk this earth, yet nobody sees me.

Thanks for the read and opinion. I have made some changes based on earlie comments, and the "existance" thing...well, I hate spell-checker, it always throws me off because I'm watching the screen as I type, lol. Thanks for the correction.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment

No regrets, no second-guessing, and absolutely NO DWELLING.

LOL

Glad you liked this one.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

author comment
(c) Neopoet.com. No copyright is claimed by Neopoet to original member content.