what happened

[rollinboyo]

here he sits
confused by the bright lights
pounding on a door that will never be unlocked
and he's tired
so tired
of pounding
his hair askew and his eyes wild
grasping at straws in the wind
I try to help
my hand goes out
and I say to him the door need not be opened
the room is empty
but how can I convince someone
of the unseen?
curiosity killed the cat they say
and it killed him too
drove out the joy and
left a shell
where my friend used to live

 

[rollinboyo]

but in me joy still lurks
still it rises to its perch
from windows I fly
the empty welcomes me
bright lights and loud voices
the world outside
all the scratching and clawing
and the men in suits
mean nothing to me
freedom is the unknown
its strangeness beckons
and I flee
happy in myself
green and gold and gray
young and old by turns
and virtue
by virtue my heart beats

 

[TheDeceased]

I like the first post but I think it's complete on it's own. I don't think the second section adds much to it. Some feedback for the first section: it changes from present tense to past tense for the last four lines which detracts noticeable from how it reads. Otherwise nice work.

It conjurs up a vivid image in my brain and I can totally relate.

 

[leiphos]

I like the reveal in the last line. The door symbol is interesting, especially considering what surrounds it. I wonder what's left, actually. Particularly about the door, and it's meaning. Your language and arrangement is good enough that you might be able to expand the metaphor a bit. If you want.

By the way, I once wrote a poem called "what happened" too. In lowercase and without the question-mark, just like your title. And it was about a friend of mine. Odd?

 

[rollinboyo]

The second post isn't really meant as an addition to the first but rather as a second, contrasting poem. I agree that it's essentially crap.

And I'd actually be interested to hear what some of you take the door to mean, as I have a certain notion fixed in my brain about it and would like to compare it to other interpretations.