Deceit

Posted on by Mitch

Once when you were my world
You told me you would gather the stars
And lay them at my feet

Once when I was young and foolish
I truly believed you
How I believed you

What we had
was an illusion
When what we needed
was the truth

P.S. I always fail to review my work once I typed them. Thank you, Tejaswi, for always pointing them out. 🙂

57 thoughts on “Deceit”

  1. Channeling Yeats are we?? 🙂
    That was one nice poem.. and this one is just another like that.. touching and nice..
    But… sad… (Not so sad that I cannot abruptly switch gears and point out.. the last but one.. needs to be changed to “when what we needed”… hehe)

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    1. Haha. Now that warms my heart. I wish I could write as good as Yeats. 🙂

      Thank you, for the feedback and the correction. I have this habit of not reading my work when I write them down. I can always rely on your keen eyes. 😀

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      1. There goes another… 😦
        I am probably knows as the Grammar Nazi by now by most bloggers.. especially when it comes to poetry.. most times I don’t even say anything.. and when I do.. I am always embarrassed and filled with worry that they might object to my pointing out things..
        But, yes, not flattery.. almost like that Yeats thing I am so fond of (and bah poetry!! I know, still..)… >>>
        “But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
        I have spread my dreams under your feet;
        Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. “

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      5. Don’t you read anything on my blog at all?? Hahahaha… nah.. not like that.. just another quirk.. poetry for poetry’s sake is not my cuppa..

        But you will know more about that sentiment if you read my posts.. (not fishing for anything, nor enticing to read my posts.. just saying.. that is one of the things I spoke about often 🙂

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      6. Haha. Of course I do. But you always seem to comment on my poetry posts so I have my doubts. 😀

        I will dig through your older posts. I’ve recently noted that you don’t like receiving awards. I’ll keep that in mind. Hehe. 😀

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      7. Haha.. yes, one bad moment after another.. and that resulted in that irate post.. but never mind, not that bad a person.. 🙂

        As for poetry.. I love it immensely.. but I have my reservations about modern poetry 🙂
        But never mind.. takes a while to understand me.. 🙂 I am a little too weird.. bundle of contradictions.. hehe..

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      8. Aw. Haha. I’ll be sure not to nominate you for any awards.

        So you like the old school kind of poetry? I’m not really into the modern poets. Modern as in the 21st century. I did not find one that I can like. Or maybe it’s because I’ve read the likes of Neruda, Rumi, Qabanni and many others that reading new ones won’t simply do at all.

        Ah. Aren’t we all? I get the weird people. Maybe because I’m one of them, I tend to be more patient in trying to understand them. 🙂

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      9. Haha… sure, thanks.. don’t want to be noticed too much.. better off in my little shell.. turtle me 🙂

        Yes, old school, certainly.. but again, not all.. I hate pretentiousness in any form.. and in poetry, even a whiff of it makes me go mad 🙂
        Just a question – why did you read Neruda or Rumi or may I venture a guess, Gibran? Because they were Supposed to be great? If you read Omar Khaiyyam, would it bore you or would you be interested in knowing more, notwithstanding Edward Fitzgerald’s translations? I am asking you this because.. this modern world has a way of trivializing everything.. everything is a summary.. “Hey, I read this, it is great”… and when you read it.. whether you like it or not, you are forced to say to another person “Hey, I read this.. it is.. er.. great”… and that “er” is forgotten in the great wave that follows.
        If I tell you I hate Neruda will you be shocked? Why? Because I am expected to say “Oh yes, fantastic.. you like him???? So DO I!!!!! Wow.. we have so much in common”…. (And, nah, rest your cudgels, I like him just fine hehe).. but I just wanted to prove a point..
        It is not the language, not the sentiment, not the phrases, not the quotable quotes.. not any of this in the singular, but all of them combined, which makes great poetry.. that is what I believe.. Technical mastery is something else.. meter, rhyme, structure.. all of them matter.. but more than that, it is what poetry evokes in the reader that matters most.. And I have tried hard to explain it to so many people.. and I hope I am half coherent here.. Sorry for this little thesis 😀
        Hope you don’t mind me using your blog to expound on this pompously haha.. Take care..
        Thank you.. .for being patient 🙂

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      10. Haha. Turtle you.

        Certainly not all. A lot of Tennyson’s poems bored me to death. I’ll give his book another go. Pretentiosness. Hmm.

        Haven’t read Gibran yet, but I’m planning to once I get hold of a hard copy of his works. They say they were great. I wanted to find out why. I fell in love with Neruda with these lines: “Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I love her and sometimes she loves me too.” From there, I’ve read dozens of his other works, from sensual love poems to those with political overtones. They are a joy to read. No one can write love poems the way he did. His metaphors are strange but the imagery is very powerful. His words drip with passion. And the man himself led a controversial life. He once wrote an ode to Stalin. A known Marxist. A friend of Salvador Allende. A diplomat. And his death was even riddled with intrigue. I guess I have to thank those pompous literary critics who shove down our throats those who were supposed to be great because I get to know Neruda. I wasn’t convinced at first. But I am now.

        Rumi is another matter. I did not read him because they say he was great but because he was Persian. My interest with the Middle Eastern culture led me to him. His works were mystical. I appreciate them for it. But it requires faith and devotion to God, and that’s something I’m uncertain of having right now. His poems need to be savored. I haven’t finished the book yet but I catch glimpses of the greatness they talk about.

        I would very much like to read Khaiyyam one day for the same reason that I first read Neruda. But maybe only after I get to read Tagore and Akmatova (not sure how it’s spelled).

        Oh, don’t worry. I perfectly understand. I don’t usually follow the latest trend unless we talk about books. I want to give everything a try, but only when they catch my interest. Or there is something in them that intrigue me. And I only like them after I read them. It’s the feelings they evoke, more than the form and the structure.

        Of course it’s welcome. I love discussing stuff like this. 🙂

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      11. I am so glad I met you. I really am.. Taking it from the top of this list.. I am not sure if Neruda wrote those lines for his wife or for Isabelle.. I must confess that I empathize with him even in that.. it might sound disloyal, but I understand him perfectly well… torn between two desires… and yet, nothing less than a genuine person for his “betrayal:. Some day I hope I shall be treated as kindly 😀

        Gasp!!.. How can you say Tennyson bored you??? haha… yes, he is pedantic, like me.. and an utter bore at times.. but he also gave us some of the greatest lines ever.. and one of those, I always keep close to my heart;
        “Come, my friends, ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world…… etc etc… and though we are not now the force which in old days moved heaven and earth, that which we are, we are – one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate; but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield”…. and then I know I go gallivanting across the world “Sabre to the right and sabre to the left” hahaha…
        There is a Neruda poem, that is almost like my own poem about the will and death etc.. I like Neruda.. but not because he is famous, but just because he is…

        I am so enchanted with your interest in Rumi. Did you have to learn Farsi in any way to read Rumi in the original? I would have loved to do that too. And hey, I am an atheist, but I still read the Rubaiyat.. I still love the poetry of Sufis.. and the shayars of India..
        Tagore I used to think, overrated, not now, not anymore.. Akhmatova, I confess, I have not read at all…

        You know, you are so much like me.. and I am glad you are.. I did not really want to comment on your blog after the tepid or even wary response the first time 😀 Bit I am glad I came back to repeat my follies 🙂 I met you… the real you..

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      12. Same here, Tejaswi. 🙂

        I don’t know that bit. I should do research. It is certainly a sad piece, regardless of the back story.

        Haha. It must be the formal structure of poetry he used. Or maybe because I read it after work. I should not have blamed him for lulling me to sleep. But seriously, I’ll finish the book next time. Let’s see if I change my mind. That’s a good one. What’s the title?

        Aw. I’ll check out your poem later. One can’t help liking Neruda, as a person or a poet.

        Oh, no. My copy is translated to English. I wish I could learn Farsi. But to do that I have to live in Iran since they don’t really offer it here. I think Rumi and Rubaiyat have similarities. I have yet to read the latter. Ahkmatova intrigues me. She writes as passionately as Neruda. Her poems are mostly poignant.

        Apologies for the wary response. I tend to be like that to people I first meet, including the virtual world. I’m glad you did too. 🙂

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      13. 🙂 Thank you..
        Yes, Isabelle, his greatest love, was also a thief of the heart.. his first wife went through hell.. but we do not judge them like that, do we? He is great because .. he just is.. a master.. and his other foibles don’t matter anymore.

        Yes, Tennyson was an idiot in many ways.. often pedantic, often bound to the rules and which ended up making him sound like a pompous prig.. but then you could say the same about Blake.. often insipid, but great lines even there.. a lot of these poets, used to write poetry just for its sake.. and in doing so, they sacrificed the heart of what they intended to say.. Modern poetry was free of such constraints.. and yet, it ended up being some garbage pail, with lots of assorted stuff pushed in to make space for what would not be normally accepted as even prose..ok, ok, that is my bias 😀

        The lines I quoted are from Ulysses.. the backstory is that his soldiers are tired of fighting, but he still wants to carry on.. they have been away from their homeland, from their near and dear ones for so long just because he told them there are exciting adventures ahead.. and when they finally rebel, he calls them together and tells them what his intentions are.. in fact a plea… like Browning “Was ever a fighter, so one fight more; the best and the last” (Which happens to be my motto too, hehe)…
        And these are the lines that touch my heart.. because I know what it is to lead and then to find people in despair and then to bring them back to life, to make them feel that the end is not yet.. Inspiring lines from an insipid poet 😀

        Farsi or French or Russian.. or German.. the beauty is in the original language.. and I have always lamented my inability to learn more.. I speak eight languages, but none of them serve my purpose if I need to read the greats in their native language.. my folly.. my weakness.. I understand the languages even without knowing them well.. but still.. much lost and much to be gained yet.. Not a passionate follower of literature, perhaps, as it should be.. maybe an amateur forever 🙂

        Akhmatova, like I said, I have never read much.. but I shall.. thank you for suggesting that name.. I have a friend who is Russian and has tried to teach me the language for the last one year, unfortunately to my shame, I am a poor student now.. now that I am slightly senile hahaha.. I wanted to read Pushkin in the original.. maybe some day, maybe never.. more likely never.. I am like that simple crow or raven or jackdaw.. I pluck the shiny things and covet them the most.. and I yearn for more, greedy for more.. and yet, I will not make an effort to do it with focus or with determination. My weakness again..

        Nah, like I said, not at all surprising.. wary responses should be de rigeur in fact 😀 … you never know what kind of monster you could possibly meet online.. so I am not offended or slighted.. it is par for the course 🙂 And yet, I am glad I met you because you are honest.. and you do not use any kind of pretentiousness in anything..

        (Let me confess.. your post about your mother touched me the most.. not many people would even say it out aloud. and when you did, I was simply proud of you.. I cannot explain how much.. I know the sneers, the superior glances and the idiotic generalizations.. and yet.. you said it and I am so proud of you… really)… Listen.. I seldom use words without meaning them (Unless I am drunk, hahahaha or quite out of my mind, same thing).. but I am glad I met you and I am honoured to be your friend.. and I hope that this friendship means something forever (ok, not forever, let me not jinx it haha).. but you know what I mean.. I seldom meet people like you, whether online or in real life…and I am proud to be your friend 🙂

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      14. Sorry for the late rep. Had to get back to work. 🙂

        Neruda had the most colourful life. And of course, we should not judge him by that alone. It only meant that he was a man, fallible to temptation. Certainly never lessen his greatness.

        Oh, those poets could be insipid. The were still two of the many greats in poetry. It must be too much free reign. Anything can pass up as poetry nowadays.

        Oh. The valor of the old days. I guess the warriors and soldiers of yore were more admirable. They fought their enemies face to face. The same can’t be said today. A leader was a leader in the real sense of the word. This is a moving story. I can see why it touched your heart.

        “The beauty is in the language.” Indeed. I can only speak two and a couple of local dialects. I wish I could read Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky in Russian and Neruda and Gabriel Garcia Marquez in Spanish. They say nothing can beat the original. Something always gets lost in translation.

        The pleasure is mine. 🙂 Wow. That’s great. Was it hard to learn Russian? There you go again. Haha. You can’t be senile at that age. At least not yet. I’d love to read Pushkin too, but maybe not in Russian. Don’t we all? The problem is that there are too many books and too little time.

        That’s good. It takes time for me get comfortable. The feeling is mutual. It is great to meet people like you.

        Is it the latest post, the one in the new category? I seldom write about my family. Hehe. Only my sister knows I blog. My mother is a wonderful woman. I think all mothers are. I’m not ashamed of where she came from. I wouldn’t be where I am now without her. And no one loves me more than she does. 🙂

        Being your friend is an honor too, Tejaswi. All my the friendships I forge are meaningful, in one way or another. I’ll be glad to keep this, forever or not. Take care always. Blessings to you anc your family. 🙂

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      15. Thanks, Mitch 🙂
        And no, did not learn Russian yet. It is really really difficult. Some day…
        Yes, when you wrote about Syria and your mom in Kuwait.. I was touched..

        The honour is all mine 🙂 I am glad I met you..
        Take care..

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      16. Aw. But you’re still learning? I can only imagine how difficult. That’s what I thought too. It was an experience she cherished. They treated her well. And being a DH was a norm here in the Philippines. It a still is. 🙂

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      17. We had some horrible news of some Indian woman who had her hand chopped by her Saudi employer because she tried to leave, apparently because she was being ill-treated.. Really horrible.

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      20. That’s not a problem. Editors are known for their cruelty. How else could writers learn? Anyway, you always say your criticisms in a civil way. They are very much welcome. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bared my writings for the whole world to see. 🙂

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  7. Deceit, yes we all go through in some stage and age of our life, some intentional and some just unknowingly. Promises are made to be broken, is one way of looking at life and promise are what are made to be kept intact. Expectations changes and it is the expectation that makes life and living happy or sad. If we keep our expectation in control, we are less likely to get hurt but if expectations keep soaring we keep dishearten if it falls…
    Deeper meaning to the words than what is presented, profound indeed.
    😀

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    1. You are right, Nihar. Especially about the expectations bit. We should keep it in control, never let it control us. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Insightful as always. 🙂

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      1. Not easy and never in control, is the human expectations, I fully agree Mitch and we keep trying out different means to get a fair response to sometime unreasonable expectations we set for ourselves in life…
        😀

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      2. Indeed. I think it is harder to keep up with the expectations we set for ourselves. When we expect something from other people, we can always reason that they don’t owe us anything. But when we disappoint ourselves, it can be very frustrating. I’m glad to hear from you, Nihar. Have a great week ahead. 🙂

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      3. I agree Mitch, this is a difficult dilemma we keep confronting not knowing where to draw the line between the expectations and the aspirations. We need to aspire high to reach higher but without expectation of keep it apart from expectation is never easy, after all we are lesser mortals and we keep erring…
        thanks so much and you too have a lovely Sunday.
        😀

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