Passages of Me

By Rome Lofton

Passages of Me was never intended to be a poetry collection book. It started out as just one poem, the first poem in the book. I submitted that poem to the American Library of Poetry. After that poem was selected, I began getting really good feedback. This incited me to continue writing poems. After I finished around the first thirty, I would joke around, saying, Fifty poems, and I will be published. This made me change my approach to poetry. Instead of rhythms that make you smile, it should make you reflect and make you think about how you feel, how you act towards people and yourself. Also, I wanted to give people a piece of me. Every poem has meaning, yet mine may not be the same yours. I wanted to write poems where people could understand my meaning yet still be able to side with theirs. I wanted to have certain poems about things that go on around the world and other things that happen within ourselves. This poetry book was a way for me to express myself in a positive manner. I hope you enjoy it as Im showing you the inner me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524503024

Rome Lofton

Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, my life was full of adventure, never living in one place for more than a year until sixth grade and, even after then, still moving around. I was never and still is not good with handling my emotions, either acting rashly and extremely impulsive or blank and void. Writing to channel myself wasn’t even a thought. My first thing was dancing, which I still do. It wasn’t till I finally came to terms with a person’s death that I knew dancing wasn’t going to be enough. I needed a way to talk about my emotions, but my pride wouldn’t let me speak the words. That was what started the process. Whenever I was angry, sad, excited or when I heard something that made me feel some type of way, I would get a pen and a piece of paper. As the oldest of five, I want to be that big brother they can be proud of even though I’ve had some setbacks. I still strive to better myself because I know it will make them want to better themselves.

Book preview

LIGHT IN THE DARK

T o fear death is to hate life.

To rejoice in death is to understand life.

Life is meant for you to suffer, to cause pain and strife.

Death is the key to unlocking peace.

To understand life, you must know death.

To know death, you must be at peace with death.

The yin yang of life.

Don't shed tears at the pain of those lost.

But rejoice in the life they once had.

Don't tarnish their memory with sadness,

But uplift it with joy.

Don't show pain of defeat,

But show laughter in winning.

No longer on this world will you suffer,

Death is your only token to what man truly wants.

Peace.

BRIDGES

U nknown violence,

To which there is no end.

A man pushed to the edge of society,

because of what he looks like & his beliefs.

They say be yourself,

But then try to mold you in their image.

To become God in the minds of those underneath.

Unjust actions taken by men with means,

To hurt or kill those they please.

How is one to teach tranquility?

Ravens clawing at one's mind.

To lose yourself,

within yourself.

Darkness seems to consume the Earth,

As the light slowly diminishes.

An icy river flowing through the veins,

of those who were cast out.

In a ship of hatred toward mankind,

they slowly turned more and more evil.

Who might be able to save them?

Rekindle the spark that was lost.

Open the eyes of mankind,

to show that we're all the same.

Color, race, language, nationality, & religion,

are bridges to connect us, not divide.

We have to come together,

or it will be our demise.

TRUTH BEHIND A LIE

D eception,

being able to warp one's reality.

To make them perceive to be real,

Even if its not.

Times,

there are innocent.

Sparing the emotions of those held dear.

Yet,

Others can tear lives apart.

Making the soul cry in agony and betrayal.

The true pain is unknown,

like the shadows of the moon.

Dark and mysterious,

yet full of life.

Though,

most people lie.

It isn't right,

but its necessary to survive.

A key to the success of our society,

Where image is more important than the truth.

Lies are the seeds of greed,

its very existence co-exist with each other.

Also,

it kills lives.

wars, diseases, horrific events,

spared by the art of deception.

A brilliant painter.

to which the origins are unknown,

but the idea prosperous.

Prosperity,

Warped ideas spread like wildfire,

while pure ideas are burned to ashes.

Ashes blown in the howling wind,

just like truth of those who win.

FREE

W hat is free?

Is it you, and is it me?

To soar the sky like an eagle,

or to be tied by chains, unseen to the human eye?

To taste the oh so sweet honey,

Only to be the stung by bees of hate.

A snake who crawls away from capture,

From brothers who have unbarred cages.

Now is the time to create

a shadow of love not hate.

To see what is in us all,

not being judged by one's downfall.

See the pain in all of many but are one,

to end a war, that has begun.

The ones who believes they're on top,

Soon must realize they are not.

A throne that should be worn by all,

Not just one looking down a fall.

So, one who thinks they know free,

please, please tell me.

Is it sweet as sugar

and more beautiful than a rose?

More elegant than a swan,

and as precious as a diamond?

Is it love as caring as a mother,

or a father at war?

Or, is it complex,

like Anne Frank's annex?

Mysterious,

like a soulless man looking back on past regrets and broken dreams.

All these questions,

yet