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IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)

From the Author

Salutations. I am JaiChai. And if I haven't had the pleasure to make your acquaintance, it's always nice to meet a fellow Steemian.

Seriously? Poetry?!

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I have been clueless about poetry most of my life.

I mean, I have read them (first as mandatory assignments in school and then sporadically as preludes to chapters in books).

But poetry never was my first choice for non-work related, recreational reading. I never actively sought out good poetry from acclaimed poets; mainly because I thought it would only remind me that some types of creativity were way beyond my reach.

In other words, I wasn't a glutton for punishment and cowardly avoided any reminders that would confirm my fears of "non-talent" in certain areas of life.

But then I befriended a woman who convinced me that poetry is not about talent, but feeling. She urged me to just try.

"Think of something you've experienced. Think of a message that you passionately want people to hear, understand and most of all, really feel..." she said, with her sultry, hypnotic, persuasive, demanding-by-not-demanding voice.

Consequently, I said to myself, "What the Hell do I have to lose? It's not like I haven't made a fool of myself in public before, right?"

And trying to bolster my motivation, I inwardly posed this challenge, "Come on man! Don't be a p*ssy! You know and I know you got this, buddy. Just do it!"

So, without further ado, I present to all Steemians my FIRST POEM - EVER!

Note: The poem is best viewed in landscape mode.

"Handprints on the Window"

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I'm that poor little kid on a sludge-filled street
looking through the baker's shop window.
Marveling at the wondrous beauty, I stop shivering
oblivious to the sleet and snow.

The most delicious things in my world out of reach,
beyond my means, just inches away.
But I can't touch it, I can't taste it, and I can't smell it -
that barrier keeping me at bay.

My sad heart sinks and I start shivering again.
Will the barrier always be there?
Like a trusted sentinel guarding a lovely princess -
ready to act: "Trespassers Beware".

I leave my muddy handprints on that cold window,
return to my day, trying my best.
Real life sets in and people ask - including myself,
"What sets you apart from all the rest?"

Soon, workers will wipe all the muddy evidence
of my meager existence away.
The remnants of childhood hopes and dreams obstructing the light
on a miserable snowy day.

Always, I keep trying for I know no better -
true to my inner self, come what may.
Amidst all the deception, sneers, jeers and hurtful lying -
deliver my best with no delay.

Years of work, contribution and kindness, nothing to reap.
But I keep trying, no matter what.
Because it's my life, my code, my heart, my identity
that's at stake here, or its all for naught.

Suddenly, flooding possibilities appear -
countless, brilliant flashes of lightning.
The dark landscape of my life is now illuminated.
It shows a meaning for everything.

Ride the tide of opportunity on a boat
I've built through years of chilling, harsh weather -
the kind that causes all life's beautiful flowers to wilt:
Types of cruelty you can't measure.

Peering out and pondering the wet, sludge-filled street,
feeling the warmth behind the window.
I am tasting everything I yearned for, but couldn't reach
in childhood - from many years ago.

My persistence was rewarded for everything
done precisely - down to the letter.
For I kept trying, always believing, no matter what
'cause in my heart I knew no better.

By JaiChai

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Many thanks for reading my post. And if you enjoyed it, please: Upvote, Follow, Comment and Resteem.

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About the Author

He is a retired U.S. Military veteran. Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.

In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he freefall parachuted out of airplanes and performed diving ops in very deep, open ocean water.

He spends his days on an island paradise with his teenage daughter, longtime girlfriend and three dogs.

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