Upon Haughty Shoulders Poem by Josh Terpening

The clustered squeeze of tomorrow's empty promises,
Feign the old squabbles of yesterday's dreams—
Upon haughty shoulders she wore her delicate deceit.

I quoted a few lines from "We Are Star-gazing Creatures":
Saying, "The sky cries in vain from our unbridled pain, and you see those stars are but infinite scars… an eternal reminder for our internal restrain! "

O descending gloom!
How you come on strong—
Strong enough to yield one's vessel
Shipwrecked!
Strong enough to force the dive overboard
Head-first and calling oneself the anchor!
Risking life and limb
In the belligerent wake, raw with war
And sickness!

O descending gloom!
O impending doom!
Fraught with tasseled thoughts,
You keep me secluded in a web of discomfort.
Though I lay prostrate
And roll like the sea,
You cease not to obliterate hopeful maneuverings.
But I respect you.
Fair in your malice,
You are both punishment and consequence.