Powerful!
Love the image, too (Jesus, like Atlas, shouldering the weight of the world)
And the imagery - wow -
and *The weight of disregard
Which can crush us sooner than ridicule can.
The echo of "I hope" and "Just you"
The plea of despair, the undying thread of hope -
No doubt I'm reading too much of my own views into this
But doesn't everyone do that (except the most objective critics?)
Bravo!
I love this!!!
That image is Atlas, not Jesus. Though I can't keep seeing the Jesus-esque figure of the era now that you've mentioned it :P
And yes, the weight of disregard is heavy indeed. Also makes you think of all the poems and prose where they make use of "He felt their regard on him" or "The weight of their regard," etc. The only thing weighing more than regard is disregard, to play on Wilde's quote, eh?
And isn't that what poems should do? Give you enough room to read yourself, and your life, into them? I think that certainly should happen, while also not letting you stamp out the author entirely.
I'm glad the poem spoke to you, Carol :)