The Lonely Man
64
Once more, the cold sheets of time
he pulls around his head
and surrenders himself
to his lonely bed
But the warmth that he needs
in order to be warm
Is somehow
never enough
So yet another sleepless night
precedes yet another busy day
and each habitual time
he can find no reason and no rhyme
He has so much time to get through
Until he feels like living again
Chilling thoughts...
he thinks of all the time he'll be dead...
He knows he should live for today
But his heart is with yesterday
and tomorrow, no longer surprises him
Surrounded by his modern substitutes
for the human touch...
His car stereo drums out noisy enthusiasm
and the TV allows him to live temporarily...
within a make-believe world
In High Definition...
and the Samaritans...
Where he tries to believe its true
when they say "Oh don't say that...
We care for you!"
But there's too many others
waiting to be heard
and needing to hear
those solicited words
And words can't keep him warm in bed
So he'll either have to
"inflate a mate"
Or invest in an electric blanket Instead
Is it only he...
or is it our society?
Why do you think so many people are chronically or desperately lonely?
See results without votingCommentsLoading...
Hi tnderhrt23 - thanks for stopping by and for sharing. I hope you feel less lonely soon. Perhaps I'll put a poll on the end of this?
A poll...yes!
Okay, so will you vote tnderhrt23?
People who choose to be lonely,often don't feel lonely;)
Hi mentalist acer - yes, there is a world of difference between choosing to be alone ... and loneliness. Thank you for sharing that piece of wisdom! :-)
brightforyou, I shall surely vote!
Thank you tenderheart23!
On your vote You should have an all of the above, I think.
Beautifully written, and reminds me of so many faces I see and I often wonder too. I did vote, I often think its the way society is so spread out today - the lack of "neighborhoods" and simple front porches keep people tucked away. With just a driveway to your garage, there really isn't a reason to see the outside of your house if you have a lawn service...
Another lovely piece, thanks for sharing :)
Hi dahoglund, I'd like to change it and put in "all of the above" but I will lose the current votes - but thank you for the suggestion and thank you for stopping by and voting!
Hi Erin LeFey (Love your name)! You are so right. When I grew up (in the North of England) we connected with our neighbors and we knew each other. We would know if someone hadn't come out of the house, or was quiet and withdrawn. It wouldn't be long before someone would contact the person in need. Also, there wasn't two parents out to work like there is nowadays; there was always someone at home - we didn't have "latch-key" children.. also, as you said, people tend not to enjoy the front garden (yard) - and mostly do their best to keep private from other people.
Thank you so much for your kind comments, for voting, and for contributing to the discussion!
Helen...Does that mean I should deflate my lovebuddy..? Oh well, she was full of hot air anyway...
Thank you for this thought-provoking poem...Thumbs up, and yes, I voted...Larry
LOL maven101 (you naughty boy, you)! I wondered it you'd pick up on that line knowing your sense of humor!! How funny! Thanks for making me laugh Larry,
:-) Helen
In my own humble opinion, loneliness is a state of mind in which a lonely person closes his own eyes and ears to the many blessings bestowed on him amidst the odds and failures. People gets so lonely because they tend to give up on things that they don't appreciate when they're still around only to realize how significant they are once they've lost them. Your poem is very touching, it made me cry... but it is simply beautiful! I voted on the poll too! =)
Hi DjBryle, I think you are right. Loneliness is a state of mind where a person closes down on the blessings around them. I think they do this when they have lost a loved one, or have to overcome some deep loss and they cannot or don't want to join in.. they need time; they need to heal. But it can become a bad habit and a form of laziness. I think your contribution to this discussion is extremely valuable - people who are lonely and depressed really need to know that people are still there... but it has to come from inside of them, to want to make a connection again. I am so pleased my poem touched and moved you.. Losing a partner can be a very painful and lonely time. It's amazing how much more we often appreciate someone, when they are gone!
Plus there are some people who just aren't good at reaching out to others. They chose narrow parameters that keep the world small and safe, but limited and oftentimes lonely..
Thank you for so much for your contribution and for voting! :-) Helen
Our world is changing so much and so fast around us. Too much communications; too little emotion attached. We are in instanteous touch but almost totally lonely in terms of emotional content. We are raising a nation of technological zombies! Thanks for a good write! WB
Hi Wayne - this is so true. My sons are almost always engaged in texting or hooked up to some paraphernalia which keeps them distanced from 'true communication' with those right next to them. Its a world full of instant and immediate gratification which leaves one empty and bereft of soul - I love the term "technological zombies!" How right you are! Thanks for your valuable contribution to this discussion. I look forward to reading your hubs :-) Helen
I vote for both individual choice and society. I know many elderly men and women, those who are alone often have other options, but they choose to stay behind, or they feel like an added burden; both are a choice. That's not to say that society doesn't leave little time to spend with people. We are a society filled with a desperation to keep moving, to keep up, and asking "what's next." People don't know how to relax, and they no longer find it necessary to just "spend" time with others. Everything requires a purpose. As a society, we are wrong. Great Hub. Thank you~
Wonderful writing :)
Hi daPuma5, I see what you mean..some people make the choice to be 'left behind' and you often hear of the elderly not wanting to be 'an added burden'(what a shame though). I agree we are too fast paced and it feels desperate with no time to relax. Its a concern why society going at this pace.
Great comments daPuma5 with some really good insights.. thank you very much for your excellent insights into this social and individual dilemma. :-)
Hi spk100 - thank you for your kind comment and for stopping by to read this hub.
Hi Helen, I love the poem and the honesty of it.
As an answer to the question, in a simple way, it's all of the above and more - but there's always hope and we can work back towards the light. There are only answers seeking to be sought. Sorry if that seems a bit simplified about the overshelming complexity of it all. We can reach out and we must reach out where we can. Thank you.
Hi chspublish, thank you for your comments. Yes, there hopefully will be a way back to the light; and the answers are almost always spiritual enlightenment after we have tried 'the worldly way.' Where there is life, there is hope, because we always have that chance to change and to grow.
Maybe reaching out starts with recognition from all of us; the enlightened, the desperate and chronically lonely, those who are close yet unfulfilled and those who are sick and tired of the treadmill of materialism... thank you so much for introducing hope and light! :-) Helen
A lot of this could be written about "this man". No booming radio or inflating device, but choosing loneliness to living otherwise. Silence is deafening very often. Our world is unnatural. Thank you for a great write!
Hey Micky, how can you be lonely ~ you have me and all your friends on HubPages! Hey sweetie, thanks for sharing ~ I think that many of us are lonely; if we are honest with ourselves - and other times, we just want to be alone and enjoy our own company. Its those times when we need 'a touch' when we need something deeper than the superficial that we crave closeness and feel loneliness at its deepest. The world we have created in the Western competitiveness and materialism, is very unnatural and we are all paying the price. Thanks for your honest sharing and contribution Micky.... Keep smiling, Helen
Touching poem. Made me think about all the people out there feeling that way.
Hi Kirutaye, thank you for your comment. Yes, I am hoping this piece will make us all more empathetic to each other and slow down a bit so we can see what's right under our noses sometimes.. Thanks kirutaye :-) Helen
Your poem is simply beautiful and brought tears to my eyes.
Hi acaetnna, thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment... it is sad that there are so many lonely people in the world, isn't it? I look forward to reading your hubs~! :-) Helen
Touching! Brilliant writing here!
thank you daydreamer13, I really look forward to reading your hubs!
In the Christmas season so many people seem to feel so lonely. I liked this read which puts the loneliness into perspective.
Love and peace
Tony
loved this poem... really made me want to bring him home for a cuppa :-) being lonely is sad but I think it does touch us all sometimes.. fab hubs xx
nice one
Hi
tonymac04 thank you for your comments - sorry for my tardiness, I have just been away for 15 days.. nice to get to know you; Helen
Hi dotty1 thank you for your kind comments - I know what you mean, it does make you want to take someone under your wing... thanks for the fanship and hugs.. I look forward to reading more of your work! Helen
Hi iceangel thank you!
Wow I know you refer to the person as male but it reflected me so much. Your words are beautiful and touch me deep. Thank you for sharing and allowing me to know I am not alone. Lol and just so you know the blanket works great.
Hi Julie, thanks for your comments. No, you are not alone. There are many lonely people in the world. I called it lonely man, but it represents both genders. Good to hear you have a warm blanket and hopefully, soon, a warm and loving relationship xx :-) Helen
Oh what a gorgeous hub. I love it!
Hi ChilliWilly, thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments - nice to meet you; I look forward to reading your hubs!
These are my favorite lines:
"But his heart is with yesterday
and tomorrow, no longer surprises him"
I really liked this one.
I read it word for word. It's a beautiful piece.
winepress.
Hi winepress, thanks for your kind comments ~ I look forward to reading your hubs, :-) Helen
I think its a combination of all the choice! life is very complex! my blessings
Hi Fossillady, thank you for stopping by and for your comments - I agree, its a combination of many factors. I look forward to reading your work - Nice to meet you. :-) Helen
Awesome poem, just like the others I have read from you.
Beautiful, and very descriptive, allowing us to feel like that man.
Well, I already am there, and have been for quite a while, which allows me to relate PERFECTLY to every word of this. It was as if you were writing about me, when I'm older. I don't plan on remaining this way, because I know the outcome.
Thank you for this. It was truly enjoyable
Hi Ben, Thank you again for your kind comments. I feel your pain in your writings. I can also see from your poetry that you have loved greatly ... and lost?
The angst of writers and artists is deep because we feel deeply, love deeply, laugh deeply ... hurt deeply.
Your writing will help heal you. You are very young and full of possibilities. You are both the prisoner and the jailer (with the key in your hand).
Let go of the past and truly forgive (yourself/parents/life/others); anyone or anything that has been disappointing or hurtful).
Turn the key and open the door: Your bright future awaits you (if you'll just give it a chance).
Love and light,
Helen :-)
Hi Randy Behavior, sorry I didn't see your post! Thank you for your kind comments. I think a lot of people can relate to having "his heart is with yesterday" and tomorrow ...just more of the same.
I guess most people find it extremely hard to move on from the loss of a loved one - whether it be a parent, boy/girlfriend, spouse, bereavement, friend, pet..even a place!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by :-) Helen
The only way to overcome loneliness is to reach out to someone..Volunteering or helping someone can be a start!
tnderhrt23 Level 4 Commenter 18 months ago
This is a powerful piece that I relate to, all too well. Me thinks its society...thats my vote, anyways.