The Poetry Marathon

Book – The long goodbye by Raymond Chandler

No way has yet been invented to say goodbye to them
Words aren’t enough, neither are gestures of grandeur
How can you bid goodbye to them,
those who you never want to leave?

Would a word be enough to contain all the feelings
they made you feel in a little span of time?
Would a word contain in itself the love
they gave you in your life?

Would a hug be long enough to keep them close?
Just to have the pleasure of being with them once more?
Would a hug be enough to plead them to stay?
Just to have another moment with them?

Would a feast in their honor be grand enough?
For someone who made you feel things you never felt before?
Would a song sing all those moments
When their mere presence was enough to keep going on?

Would a poem express their awe-inspiring words?
Would a ballad be enough to show them their greatness?
Would a dance tell them their importance?
Or would they all just be incomplete?

What shall I do, now that you have decided to leave?
If it were up to me, I shall hold you close
O, What shall I do, now that you have to leave?
My pleas won’t make you reconsider

Alas, I must accept my fate
A life to be led without your presence in it
I must be strong at the moment of parting
Maybe your presence was the only thing holding me together

No way has yet been invented to say goodbye to them
Words aren’t enough, neither are gestures of grandeur
How can you bid goodbye to them,
those who you never want to leave?

-Surya T

Take me out of this place, I begged him
Take me out of this place, I begged him
Take me out of this place, I begged him
This prison, I must escape, I pleaded

You are in prison, I don’t commit felonies, he told me
You are in prison, I don’t commit felonies, he told me
You are in prison, I don’t commit felonies, he told me
You must be guilty, for you are in prison

I am innocent yet serving a punishment
I am innocent yet serving a punishment
I am innocent yet serving a punishment
I serve for a crime I didn’t commit

I am helpless and my hands are tied, he told me
I am helpless and my hands are tied, he told me
I am helpless and my hands are tied, he told me
I’m sorry to be helpless and without a choice

You know what you have done to deserve this
You know what you have done to deserve this
You know what you have done to deserve this
You will pay for what you have done

-Surya T

Beep… Beep… Beep
the alarm’s ritual has begun
before dawn arrives, waking me up
it fulfilled its duty and now it’s mine

The torch of greatness is in my hand
the torch flaming like never seen
each bead of sweat as fuel
the fire keeps burning bright

Snooze or Wake up? My hand deliberated
to stop this process or repeat again
a few more minutes or sleep?
worth risking waking up too late?

The flame slowly grew dimmer
fuel was running out
a little while and it’ll run out
putting the flame in a grave

I pulled down on the phone to wake up
snoozing isn’t an option anymore
I had to get on the road
my ritual is awaiting me

the torch is becoming lighter
I take a few steps forward, increasing my speed
beads of sweat form on my temple
the flame starts burning brighter

I pull up my socks and tie my shoes
hugging my legs, my shoes fill confidence in me
You can run for long, far, and wide
they silently scream into my leg

The flame is burning brighter
showing me the way forward
my heart rate is elated
and the music in my ears too!

The world is silent, yet to wake up
the birds asleep in their nests
and the dogs curled up on the road
There’s still time for the world to wake up

The trees blow gently on my face
Caressing and wiping the sweat
Each step burns the torch brighter
The torch of light is near its former glory

The sun shies behind towering mountains
The wind moves gently among the leaves
the sleeping snore in unison
breathing in… breathing out…

The torch is burning brighter
the warmth seeping to my own being
my heart feels at one with nature
breathing in… breathing out…

The sun peeks from behind the mountain
the wind makes a gentle sound
wake up, my dears- the trees sound
the birds begin their morning song

Nature’s pleasant alarm clocks, they are
waking up their fellows
my legs feel a soreness,
yet my heart wants to go on

10 kilometers, the app notifies me
it’s been a long run so far
yet I feel I haven’t gone far at all
my heart wants to race on over

The torch burns brighter and brighter
Each bead of sweat keeping the flame alive
the torch burns brighter
and it’s not going to ever die

–Surya T

Another season starts soon
your last before you regenerate
you escaping death to survive
a gamble on what you’ll end up with

Not again, Doctor, Not again
My heart is not strong enough
To say goodbye to you once more
I don’t think I can see you die

You can do so much more
Be more than what you were
Helping me cope with reality
Escaping in your Time-Space machine

You haven’t lived long enough
yet you filled my whole life with adventure
Please don’t go, Doctor, please,
It’s not time for that yet

In times of despair and darkness
I turn to you for solace and comfort
now, it’s your time to go
and I feel abandoned, lost, and lonely

Why must you go, doctor?
Why can’t you stay here with me?
We can go on adventures together
roam the entire universe

Play with the space dust on Alpha Centauri
work on the fields of Gallifrey
setup a base for safety of Earth
watch the evolution of humankind

We can do so much more, doctor
So much more
But this is what we get
And it’s not fair

We can do so much more, doctor
Yet our time is limited
I can’t do this anymore, Doctor
Please, don’t go, Doctor!

-Surya T

Hello all,

My name is Surya T and I am a writer/poet. I have been writing for nearly 7 years as of 2021. Over this time, I have finished a few books (which are underway to be published), poems (published on my blog – morningreads.wordpress.com), and some short stories on topics I found interesting.

I have come across the poetry marathon and it is a challenge that I was immediately drawn to. I decided that I will do this, no matter what. This is my first time doing a marathon as of this so there are a lot of questions in my own head as to what I will be doing. However, I think with all your support and a little confidence in myself, I will be able to finish this.

I have a good amount of coffee, so that I can stay awake. I’m sleeping till a half-hour before the marathon starts to ensure I am not half-sleepy when it starts. It is going to be a long night and I got myself bread and cheese to keep me fed for the next 24 hours.

Good luck to all and myself!

Regards,

Surya T