Can’t Hide
With the last paycheck spent on camouflage,
focusing on a mindset made of mirrors,
I attempt to be an object
or better yet be none.
My clothes mimic the variegated prints of nature,
my face is painted much the same.
I stand in the wilderness far away from the Sheridan Square Stop
teaching my heart to copy the various pulses of the forest.
I once sacrificed:
my future and my past for my role in the now;
I once worshipped
fences and gates and directions pertaining to.
With each breath I inhale the cold message of shelter
holding in the truths and surface deceptions
creating a balance between conception and mirage,
accepting the difference between initiation and isolation.
Without the next paycheck
I worry what it means
to not be nothing,
to not be able to hide,
the actual point of submission to everything
being the same:
no distinction.
— Zumwalt (2011)
zumpoems 
Comments on: "Can’t Hide" (18)
I like your style… very perceptive. Thanks for liking my posts 🙂
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This is great, I like it very much, Raw in reality and still beautiful.
ps
It says Zuwmalt (2011) instead of Zumwalt, not sure if that is suppose to or a typo?.
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i know what you are talking about. only i could never say it this beautifully. very touching and a little scary poem.
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Wow this is really deep and makes me consider all the things I have sacrificed for the now…… What do our lives really amount to? Are we hiding within our roles, comfortable blending into an unnoticed existence? I think a lot of the things we strive for are mirages, placed there by fables created by the different parts of our lives and society…. Work hard, never complain, always be polite, tow the line……… How easy it is to sink into the camouflage…… A powerful message, especially during the week that an incredible dreamer and nonconformist like Steve Job’s passed away……. Very, very deep…….
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BlueGem, Ina, S Basu and Johnallenrichter
Thanks for your comments.
Ina — Thanks for catching the typo!
Johnallenrichter,
Thanks for your always careful readings of these poems. Appreciate it! It’s great to see people like Steve Jobs that followed their dreams with everything they had! Wish him the best in whatever comes after.
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Profoundly, Paradoxically, Phosphorus …though it blended in with reality so close, I could barely make it out…
Bless You
paul
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This poem is amazing.. Deep.. you are a truly talented poet..:-)
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I’m not very good at reviewing poetry, but I have to say that this is just wonderful! It’s pulls the reader right it and has a fantastic tone. I also greatly appreciate your use of grammar, as random as that may sound. It’s extremely effective and has a distinct air of emptiness. I can’t wait to read more 🙂
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sonsothunder, abchica and Anna,
Thanks for carefully reading and proving comments! Appeciate it.
sonsothunder — thanks for the humor!
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Certainly a timely reflection.
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Life is so hard, things often get worse before they improve but however deep and dark life gets there is always hope. It maybe tiny it maybe be hiding but it is there!! Wonderful writing!! XX
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this is awesome..
I once sacrificed:
my future and my past for my role in the now;
I once worshipped
fences and gates and directions pertaining to..hiding behind the paycheck…hiding behind a role, a job…. this is deep..
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Love the poem, a lot if thought went into it.
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mareymercy, willowdot21, claudia and dribblingpensioner,
Thanks so much for carefully reading and for commenting!
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I like this very much, Zum. Very yogic – everything is the same – we feel this at certain times. Submitting is something else.
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Monica,
Thanks so much for taking the time to browse older posts. Thanks for the comments! Have a great weekend!
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I love this poem. So honest and relatable. Bravo!
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notactingfreelance,
Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting!
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