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.
Joshua, as you have pointed out, even though we are aware of our flaws, the will to overcome them can be tedious, since they are deep-rooted in our habits and mind. “Growing beyond them” is through realization they exist, turning to God, and praying for change. As Paul said, this is a well explored metaphor.
Thank you for the kind comments everyone.
A poem of good cheer, whatever the season, Joshua.