Genuine, he is!
Ah! The "madman" – there he goes!
With a gait as wild as the tempestuous winds themselves!
He dashes past the timeworn cherry oak, whose gnarled branches stretch like the arms of forgotten souls.
His smile, a grotesque mask of forced cheer, betrays his frantic, darting eyes that seek
—oh, how they seek—
some semblance of comfort, of a friendly face amidst the unforgiving throng.
But alas!
What he knows not, nor any of his fellow creatures, is this:
The true madness, the cruelest lunacy,
lies not in his flight,
but in the very heart of the one who stands here, in plain view,
cloaked beneath the illusion of reason and sanity!
(Inspired by @BastionKnight and Charles Dickens XD)
@twerp
Firstly, I am truly honoured to have been part of the inspiration for this interesting poem. I found the exploration of madness and perception. The imagery paints a vivid gothic picture with the first four lines. I feel this grants it a heavy, unsettling atmosphere which blends perfectly with the themes of alienation and the divorcing of the outsider from the comfort of the rational. The uneven lines add to this feeling of crazed movement, like a demented waltz, cementing the idea of the madman flailing erratically. But then you flip things on their head, shaking our perception with the revelation from the narrator that the supposed rational being harbours a turmoil equal if not greater that is only "cloaked beneath the illusion of reason and sanity!", brining in to doubt all of our expectations. For if the supposed rational world cannot see what lurks inside one of their own, how can we trust anything. It almost feels as if the madman, though lonely, is somehow the luckier of the two.
I really enjoyed it.
@BastionKnight
Dear Knight,
I truly hope you do not mind my lack of a timely response. Sometimes my words leave my brain for a while and go for a nice vacation. However, I was delighted to hear you enjoyed it! The inspiration for the theme is from Charles dickens "A madman's manuscript". Although the inspiration to stop being lazy and actually write was inspired by your work, "Lesson learned". It's one of my favorites I've read so far. :)
Thank you for reading and responding to my work. It never ceases to make me feel like a better writer. Again, I'm glad you enjoyed it! *Grins*
Twerp.
@twerp What a striking piece by Twerp! The rhythm of the poem itself feels like a frantic chase, mirroring the madman’s wild dash through the world. The contrast between outward chaos and the hidden turmoil within is really compelling—"The true madness... lies not in his flight" turns the entire perspective on its head. A wonderfully haunting reflection on perception and sanity.
Also, inspired by two of my favorite writers, Charles Dickens and Bastion Knight... where can I sign up for more?
@azurePond
Dear azure,
Wonderful to see you here! I do hope you don't mind my lack of a timely reply, as my words had left me during the time you had commented on my work. Regardless, I was enthralled to see you caught onto my "frantic chase" flow. I wanted it to seem messy, fast paced, no time for thinking. I was hoping to display urgency and restlessness. I'm thankful you had noticed, as you usually do.
Also, what is your favorite Charles Dickens piece? I just adore his writing! Thank you for reading and responding to my work. Your comments warm my heart and make me feel noticed. Again, thank you for your kind words. :)
Twerp.
@twerp Dear Twerp,
It’s always a pleasure to hear from you! Please don’t worry about any delay—your words are always worth the wait. I completely felt the urgency and restlessness in your piece and I love how you captured that frantic- " no-time-to-think energy' so effectively.
Every time someone asks me about my favorites - my mind goes completely blank. I hear “Dickens?” and somehow end up thinking of Macbeth, with “All the perfumes of Arabia” stuck in my head on repeat. But Dickens…' A Christmas Carol' always reminds me of someone (lol) though if I had to pick an absolute favorite, one would be the 'Great Expectations'. That line—"I have been bent and broken but I hope into a better shape"—really stays with me. That said, it’s actually a tie between Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. I have a love-hate relationship with Sydney Carton—some days I love him, some days I loathe him, and other days... well... it’s just pity… maybe sympathy. So yeah, those two would be my top picks.
Do you have a personal favorite?
Your kind words mean so much, and I’m grateful for our exchanges. Looking forward to reading more of your work!
Warmly,
Azure