The Poems Became The Story Of My Inner Life Poem by Shalom Freedman

THE POEMS BECAME THE STORY OF MY INNER LIFE

The poems became the story of my inner life-
A series of confessions-

Often simple and direct
They seemed to lose their poetry-

I wrote them and I write them as I need to
I do not know if their rhythm is real
Or only prose-

I write them as poetry
Because this is what I am and have now-

Still the overwhelming anxiety I have now suggests
I always in them tell only a small part of the story
As if the feeling inside
Is always more than any poetry that pretends to express and represent it –

If I doubt the value of this poem and doubt the value of all my poetry and doubt my own value, poetry or not, and doubt and doubt-
Then certainly ‘doubt’ is one keynote of my inner life and story.