Last Antidote
Tempestuous dreams brewed
Once the ancient herbs were concocted
After nightfall
In the pale light of the moon
When the secret recipes,
Guarded by all
like treasures of yore
Took effect
The lonely drinker would swoon
Mysteries of love, of passion, of hatred
Of poisonous animosity
Danced before half shut eyes
Laden with intoxicating smoke
Smoke… Smelling better than
the best Oud from Arabia.
The uncouth and the wizened alike
Longed for dreams, which surpassed
Any living being’s imagination
…. For those dreams
Were palpable
Touching the drinker of the concoction
With all might.
Embracing
gently enclosing him within his own dream.
tearing passion was imbibed
Just as the wet salty tears were felt
Different lives were lived
In years were spent
All in those realistic dreams
What maddening tricks
The brew played
What ancients miracles
One could behold
What finery worn,
Ah what love, sweet love, tasted
… All until…
The poison took effect
And shades of unseen horrors
Began eating the drinker’s mind
Screams were mute
the enticing potion played its last trick
The price
Of tempestuous dreams
Was matched with
The frightening reality.
It’s price…
The only antidote of now-poisoned dreams
To be claimed by the forces
Of the soundless winds,
…. The drinker’s last breath…
Catch more of Maryam Viqar with her previous poems at The Ugly Writers or by clicking on any of her works below:
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6 thoughts on “The Last Antidote”
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Our ideal self is the perfect version of ourselves that we always admire. It is the image we want everyone else to see. It is the mirror against which we always compare our real self. Our ideal self is like our dream that we always wanted, the dream that motivates, set the standards and establishing goals in order to pursue them. My ideal self is the one who is an achiever, has a self confidence, the one who is brave and living her life to the fullest. I want to be a child who can make my parents so proud in achieving many things in life like in academics. I want to have a self confidence like others, there are some point in life that I really wanted to join or do that certain thing but there’s a part of me who is trying to stop me from doing those things and I think it is because I am lack of self confidence. I am not that confident because I might fail and I am afraid to be judged. I wish I was brave like others, I wish I am not weak like who I am right now. I easily get affected even on little things. I used to overthink a lot and keeping it from anyone else. And lastly, I want to live my life to the fullest like there’s no tomorrow. I wish I am rich like celebrities l, like I can go wherever I wanted to, I can buy anything without looking at its price and living like a princess. Going to school without pressuring myself because of the scholarship.
My ideal self is far from my real self, I am not smart, I don’t have that self confidence, and we are not that rich. It may be hard to live a life like this but still I will choose my real self over my ideal self because for me it is the life that really suits for me. I am still thankful because I have a life like this, a complete family and loving friends. For me, I am blessed enough being in this situation because there are a lot of people who are less fortunate and dreaming to have a simple life like mine. As I grow, I’d still continue to build myself not for my ideal self but for the improvement of my real self.
ACT 186 DANNA MOIRA L. GANIBO
Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Means a lot to me. Keep redefining the meaning of life. Love
Diego Almario, CIV192, Art Appreciation, Lights, MX
Gio C. Macalino, CIV191, Art Appreiciation, Lights, Contre-jour, MX
Karrenmae DG. Navarro, CIV192, Art Appreciation, Lights, MX, Contre-jour
Diego Almario, CIV192, Art Appreciation, Lights, MX, contrejour