“Doubt”

On By Mike U.In Poetry

“Doubt”

(c) 2023 by Michael L. Utley

an abandoned field
an overcast sky
a cedar post
a river stone
a random trajectory
something will shatter
in a moment
when sorrow
and regret
merge
forcefully

so many thrown stones
litter the ground
around the post
missed opportunities
bad timing
a reprieve from
consequences
too brutal
to imagine
should wood
and stone
connect

but this time

is different

my aim is true
and through
tear-blurred eyes
I find clarity at last
as the stone
strikes the post
dead-center
and there is
no longer
any doubt

27 thoughts on ““Doubt””

    1. Thanks, David. I’m feeling a bit rusty and out of sorts after so long without writing. Frustrating. I can’t seem to hit the post, so to speak. 😀 Oh well. Keep trying, I suppose. 🙂

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    1. Many thanks, Cindy. Glad you enjoyed it. I’m really scratching and clawing at this point to try to get words to flow, and have mixed feelings about this one. All I can do is keep trying. Thanks as always for the kind words. I appreciate it. 🙂

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  6. rajkkhoja

    my aim is true
    and through
    tear-blurred eyes
    I find clarity at last
    as the stone
    strikes the post…
    So nice connect wood & stone recommend in poem written. I like.

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    1. Thanks so much, my friend. I’m happy to know you liked this poem. I grew up on a farm, and as a boy one of my hobbies was throwing stones at fence posts. It was relaxing and challenging (and probably sounds weird). 😀 Oh well. Life’s failures are like throwing stones at a post and missing, I suppose. And I have plenty of misses in my life. Thanks for stopping by and visiting. I appreciate it. 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Peggy. Mixed feelings about this one–I feel like I missed the post here. 😀 Try, try again, I suppose. Going for months at a time without getting anything written always takes a bit of a toll on a writer. I’ve got way too many worries at the moment, so it’s been difficult to find any clarity in my thinking. Anyway, thank you for your kind words, as always. I appreciate it. 🙂

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      1. I think, my friend, that your “aim is true.” I love the short phrases that set the stage, and continue to lead us through the mixed emotions of “misses” in life and finally a hit. Maybe not your usual style, but powerful imagery and emotion!

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    1. Thanks a bunch, Aaysid. I wasn’t sure about this one. It’s been hard to get in any sort of writing groove for a while. I’ll have to keep trying, I reckon. Thanks for your kindness. It means a lot to me. 🙂

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    1. Thanks a bunch, Diana. I’m glad you liked this one. I was unsure of it while writing it, and sort of thought it might be too obtuse. You’re right about the ambiguous ending being a deliberate choice on my part. Anyone who has read my poetry can probably figure out that this doesn’t have a happy ending, but I wanted to let readers interpret it through the filters of their own minds and experiences. It’s one aspect of poetry that fascinates me, you know? Viewing photography (and virtually other type of art) creates a similar effect, where people can see the same thing at the same time, yet come away with completely different experiences and interpretations. Sometimes that vague ambiguity really adds to a piece. Anyway, I’m delighted to know you enjoyed this one. Thanks for your kindness as always. 🙂

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      1. I like the ambiguity too. I usually see it, though I tend to swing toward the hopeful side of things. It’s one of the advantages of poetry over prose, I think, to set a scene and let the interpretation rest with the reader. Much harder and riskier to do with prose where we usually try to lead a reader to a specific conclusion and closure.

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