broken record


You've heard it all before
The sad song being sung
So loud and long and overdone
Again and again.

I can hardly breathe
Hardly live
Hardly know
Where to go.

Running in my dreams to empty arms
Of a someone who doesn't care
Skipping heart beats.
In time, it all goes away
The scratches fade
Skipping the memories.
The love, the love, the love
Repeatedly undone
Skipping past happiness.
Songs full of witty nonsense
For all the vinyl wear and tear
Skipping the best parts.

Fake it 'til you make it
Fragmented personality
Fake, fake, fake it
Skipping over the real me.

Standing like an island,
Brilliant in the sun,
Midst an ocean of people
Who want to love and be loved but don't.
Like an island. An island. An island.

Unapproachable, radiant me.
Waiting for the future
To begin yesterday. 
Approach. Approach. Approach.

Dancing with this song
Running on a loop through my head
It won't go away
For all that skipping
All I remember is
The love, the love, the love.
It's gone, gone, gone.
Fake, fake, fake.
Brilliant island in the sun.

Skipping to the end
Skip
Skip
Skipping
The radiant end.





5 comments:

  1. The skip skip of a record, the repetition of a broken record seem a metaphor for the cycle of hope and disappointment with the media version of romance.
    Many cultures have no words for and rather low opinion of what has sold so many songs and movies in America...
    Romance. Seems always distorted, vinyl as opposed to real love.
    Interesting. (I have no idea if I read this poem accurately.)

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    Replies
    1. As a reader of my work, you could never be wrong. It is what you make it. But yes, you pinned down one of a few layers I wanted to bring to mind as people read. Thank you for giving my words some of your time.

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  2. I just read this 5 times...I LOVE the analogy between our lives and a worn but loved record. The repetition sets this one into a zone of its own. This is absolutely beautiful and I just printed it out for my inspiration...hold it togehter in life board. You have a powerful way with words.

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  3. I was left wondering if the generation of people who haven't really lived in the world of the vinyl record would feel this as intensely. The image resonates over and over.

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  4. You have artfully captured the sound of the record skipping. At times I wanted to pick up the needle and reset it beyond the skip.

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