Flaws
Awareness of a flaw
Does not negate its gnaw;
It chews upon the self
And cultivates itself.
Investing roots so deep,
And sowing seeds to reap;
It puts you under a spell,
And tells you, “All is well!”
It bores into our minds
Until the soul unwinds,
And confidence is shot
Before a self-made plot.
It tells you not to fret
About an urgent threat,
And should you fail to act,
You’ll find yourself attacked.
I swear you almost hear
Its laughter mocking queer;
Resounding clear contempt
With nobody exempt.
For all of us are flawed
Beneath our own facade;
We’re bound to our defects
And all of their effects.
They’re found in every man,
A parting from God’s plan.
Since Eden—man is lost,
And humans pay the cost;
Perfection made a myth,
And so we live therewith,
To extirpate our stains,
Undoing Adam’s “gains.”
Shall we remain as slaves?
Until we reach our graves?
Or shall we overcome?
With flaws affected numb;
We cannot overturn
The elements that burn,
But we can grow beyond
And terminate their bond.
Joshua Thomas is a poet originally from North Wales who currently resides in Sweden.
An interesting metaphor, well explored. The visual brings home the idea of ‘deep-rooted’ roots even more.
Change can be difficult and painful if we’ve been in a deep-rooted rut.
Thanks for the thought-provoking read, Joshua.
“Flaws” is well-written and deep. Thank you for the read, Joshua.