Iris



My portraits of the past
remind me of all I have lost.

How cruel this world is
once you have given everything,
and have nothing left to comfort yourself,
as you pace around the barren,
haunted hallway of your life.

All I'll ever be is dancing with ghosts,
holding them close,
wishing for one more day of life,
yearning to hear their heartbeat
ever once more.

All I ever needed was to be loved,
unconditional and true,
its light of a thousand suns
carrying me through
the darkest of nights.

Part of me longs for the mother I've never had,
fearful of accepting the one
who is just as broken as I am,
who made me broken
in her brokenness.

Part of me longs for the love
that will never be,
the blossoms that will never flourish,
the taste of bittersweet memories,
tormenting my subconscious.

Part of me wishes so desperately
to be free from this world,
evanescent amongst the stars,
lost to the patterns
of time and space.

On this day, 33 years ago,
I was born into this world,
unwanted and cumbersome,
begging for the comfort
of a mother's love.

On this day, 33 years ago,
I was born into this world,
sleepy-eyed and hopeful,
eager to never let go of my father's hand
as he vanished into the void.

It's so hard to believe in yourself
when no one else does.

you're on your own kid,
and the clock is ticking away
ever so slowly,
ever so briskly,
in fleeting moments.

Tick, tock.
...Tick, tock.
......Tick, tock.

I am but a remnant of mother nature.
a grain of sand in the vastness of time.
a moment after everything began.
a distant memory after everything ends.
and so it shall be ever more.

About this poem

Written on my 33rd birthday, this poem touches on recovering from childhood traumas. It focuses on coming to terms with the hopes and aspirations your inner child had for not only you, but the people around you.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on October 20, 2023

Submitted by ammiemarie on April 10, 2024

Modified by ammiemarie on April 11, 2024

1:46 min read
35

Quick analysis:

Scheme xx axbcd xxdxe xfxfx xcxca ghxxx hixxx JIxxg JIxxx bx xxhhx KKK xxxxe
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,606
Words 349
Stanzas 13
Stanza Lengths 2, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 2, 5, 3, 5

Ammie-Marie Littke

Ammie-Marie Littke is an American writer, songwriter, multimedia designer, and data analyst. Born and raised in southwest Michigan, she learned to love music and literature from the age of 4, adapting the ability to recognize a popular song within the first few seconds of airplay on the radio. She spent much of her teenage youth exploring her creative skills, writing nearly 200 poems and song lyrics between the ages of 11 and 17. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Web Design & Interactive Media from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and an Associate's Degree in Graphic Design Management from Bradford School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from East High School in Youngstown, Ohio. more…

All Ammie-Marie Littke poems | Ammie-Marie Littke Books

10 fans

Discuss the poem Iris with the community...

3 Comments
  • GCTHOMAS
    Ammie, I love your writing! This is beautiful but makes me want to have a stiff drink (if I drank). Thank you for the accompanying context. I love how poetry is an especially safe place for catharsis. Your ability to use the creative part of the brain to express and process is SO wonderful. You are awesome! 
    LikeReply26 days ago
  • amandak.45897
    Good write thank u!
    LikeReply27 days ago
  • susan.brumel
    Beautiful and heartfelt, Ammie-Marie.
    Thank you for sharing.
    LikeReply27 days ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Iris" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/185120/iris>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

More poems by

Ammie-Marie Littke

»

May 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
23
days
21
hours
47
minutes

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
The opposite of poetry is _______.
A Somnolence
B Prose
C Literalism
D Verse