The Great Seducer, Deceiver & Tyrant: FEAR (Day 4)
Where does one begin to speak of Fear and its myriad, shape-shifting forms? Sufi mystic, Hafiz, calls it the cheapest room in the houseand would like to see us living in better conditions. Yes, this great seducer, fear can be easy to get used to, offering us false assurances as it tightens its grip, and enslaves us
It is a sly tyrant, and continues to enable actual tyrants on the world stage, who lead us to believe that we have no alternative but to trust Fear. There is no greater illusion than the 'comfort' that fear offers—mind-forged manacles visionary poet, William Blake, called these limitations that we impose on ourselves. Existential writer, Franz Kafka, went further when he confessed that he could sound like the bribed-defender of his fears.
Seducer-deceiver-tyrant, Fear, wishes to see us reduced, mistrusting ourselves, others and Life.
We are not ourselves, when we surrender to fear, and do not think straight or act out of the fullness of our being.
We reclaim ourselves and all of Life's possibilities when we truly recognize that fear is a liar. What's more, spiritually-speaking, we are fearless once we realize we are deathless. Today's poem is an attempt, tenderly, to talk us out of fear and develop this insight by bold writer, Anaïs Nin: And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
I.
Difficult in these grim days,
of fear and loathing,
not to become radicalized -
by pity and love.
II.
The day you lose your fear
of sleeplessness, you will sleep
and the day you lose your fear
of wakefulness, you will awake
Only then will you realize, my dear
'bribed defender of your fears'
that you do not need them so much
as they desperately need you
For you are far, far more than the sum
of these devious ciphers you suffer
the treasured lot clotting your chest
blocking an ever-rising sun from view
In light of their absence, you will clearly see
an essential self, free of borrowed shadow
you would hardly recognize that you, now
unflanked by those old fears… believe me.
© Yahia Lababidi
(Images from Pixabay
This is my entry for Day 4 of @d-pend's 100 Day Poetry Challenge. To learn more, please, visit Steemit School on discord
Thank you for this timely (both personal, and globally) and beautiful poem. I appreciated the prologue, the gentle reminder of the nature of fear, and it's deceptive ways. It is fodder for this world it seems, but the comfort it brings is perverse, and backwards.
Glad it resonates, Scott. We all deserve to live far better than we do, nowadays, maddened by fear of one another... You seem to me like a brave soul and I appreciate your affirmation 🙏🏼
What a wonderful poem (...and the picture is awesome too btw) - Yes, our essential self is that and so much more... A discovery of many billion lifetimes...
Thanks for sharing! ❤️
I appreciate your warm support, @atmosblack and know that you are intimate with such matters and the hard work of Liberation. Thank you, for reading. <3
Your lovely line about our essential self reminds me of ones I cherish by Beckett:
What is demanded of the artist is that, as an individual, he vanish from his work...
◊
Yes, you must be here, and also, millions of light-years away. All at the same time…
🙏
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! A well-deserved win.
Thank you, Nicholas, for your warm encouragement! I wish you best of luck honing your craft as a writer of poetry and prose.
I really enjoy the spiritual aspect of your poetry, your word mastery and language mastery are apparent, but the depth of your message is where I find treasure.
Thank you, brother. Word games are just bait, sweet stuff to get the reader to stay a little longer and feel a little deeper. Thank you, for listening with an open heart & for the tough hopefulness in your own art 🙏🏼
You deserve to win, @yahialababidu. Your poem really touches feelings, and Hafiz's quote has deep meaning.
Thank you.
I appreciate your kindness --yes, Hafiz is a Master-- and wish you success with your own poetry. Cheers :)
Most of the things that hinder our growth are the unseen: fear, discouragement, angst, and a lot more. It is difficult to think, the things that hold us back are not even things. Fear cannot be held,cannot be touched yet it has so much power against ourselves.
Good point. Then, again, the things that uplift us are also Unseen: Hope, Love, Faith.
It may be safe to say that we are governed by what is intangible (for better or worse).
Well said.
A very insightful and enlightening write. When did we fall to the belief that fear would keep us safe?
Thank you, @prydefoltz I think it has something to do with guilt. Whether we admit it to ourself or not, we are afraid when we feel/know that we've done wrong. Our conscience is not so easy to put to sleep and suspects that violence begets violence...
Very good poem!
This Is art. ;-)
Much appreciated, @infinityroad! This is what I aspire to, Art, glad to hear you think I achieved it :)
Thanks a lot for the wonderful words as usual, yes you mentioned once and i second you that Poetry is a prayer <3 <3
Thanks lot for an awesome poem Yahia :)
Ah, thank you, for remembering, Salman <3
Yes, I stand by these words ... poetry, at its finest, is thanksgiving and awe, in other words: Prayer.
I appreciate your support, stay blessed _/|_
You are always welcome My Spiritual Brother <3
Great and deep words to spread knowledge to shackle all the fears which really holds us from free walk in life, and yes fear stop us to explore the life in the deepest level and i believe that we are spiritual beings, and if we live in phase of fear then your spirit will become depressed because you are here to explore and your actions don't have limitations and if you force to stop the spiritual actions due to fear then you will feel depressed all the time so break the shackles of fear and explore and enjoy the life to the fullest. Thanks for sharing and wishing you an great day. Stay blessed. 🙂
Bless you, for your warm response, and recognizing the importance of the spiritual dimension in this poem and living a whole and holy life.
May your heart be free of fear, @chireerocks, and thanks, again for your heartfelt words _/|_
Thank you so much for the kind words and appreciation. 🙂