The Wall

Who can deny the metaphorical power of a wall; from separating borders to symbolizing adversity. They are pervasive in our history and our culture. From the Great Wall of China, to the Berlin Wall, to the very structures in which we live out our compartmentalized lives, to the barriers in our own minds; they permeate our existence. These walls only serve to isolate, imprison and diminish us, but yet we are somehow always willing to build more. The wall in this poem represents that moment in life when a person hits that height of despair and contemplates the most final of all decisions. The images in the poem were inspired by this photograph of a graffiti filled wall in an abandoned factory complex. Writ large in a bold white background, one word stood out!

Wall of graffiti, writ large with despair.

Troubled soul in need of repair.

A moment in life, the moment is now.

Now and then.

Now and then.

To contemplate dreams and see it all fail.

To throw away life in an emotional gale.

And who will judge in the end?

Right or Wrong?

Right or Wrong?

It should admit of first choice,

If you want to choose.

Take the next step, just one life to lose.

Life or Death?

Life or Death?

But contemplate this before you decide:

The wall is not thick, it crumbles inside.

Look beyond now, another day waits.

A life worth living,

I can see!

I can see!