They called him the idiot,
a fool; not playing with
the full deck, they said.
Poor eejit's a sandwich short
of a picnic, they said.
And other things, hurtful things.
His name was Brian,
a rag-arsed urchin
living with his Grandma
on the edge of town.
A boy living on the edge,
in more ways than one.
For he was strange, this boy,
and strange-looking.
Pallid, moon-faced; watery eyes
which never kept still
and hands too large
for his spindly body.
He hardly ever spoke,
even when spoken to;
but sometimes he could be heard
muttering softly to himself,
as if he talked with someone
--or something--unseen.
Some said he was touched
by God's finger,
for he would laugh at times;
a pure, delightful laugh,
as of angels being tickled,
or the clear music of a mountain stream.
And in the long summer evenings
he would stray among the hills,
long after the stars came out.
There he would meet the Shining Ones:
the Shining Ones who stroked his mind
and gave him light.
And he would feel the rhythm
of the stars, and touch
the pulse of Heaven.
Nature, naked, lay before him
--no hidden secrets--as his senses soared,
unbounded by the leaden earth.
But, long after midnight,
as Brian walked alone,
back to his Grandma's home,
the dark clouds rolled in again,
cutting off the light,
when the Shining Ones had gone.
Who were they, the Shining Ones?
Fairies, phantoms, dreams?
Who knows--Brian can't say,
and who would believe him anyway?
For he was the idiot, Nature's fool,
whom the villagers, in their ignorance, ridicule.
Author notes
Feedback welcomed
Written May 7th, 2006
A contest entry
- Contest: Come Out, Come Out, Where Ever You Are! Calling Metaphysical Practioners & Like Minds by Amunet Wolfbane.
500 points, ended May 12, 2006, 10 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Round One of Five by Kei-Aira.
450 points, ended February 5, 2008, 27 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 22 of 22
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You know, it always enraged me when people would make fun of those with "a lesser degree of intelligence" than most claimed to have. They were always so gentle and kindly-natured, it made me wonder just who really was the idiot among them, and I always knew which was which. Good for you, Bill. 
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Incredible writing! One line blending perfectly with the next and the ending... was just as perfect. Great job here. Thank you for sharing this with me and best wishes. Keep that pen handy dear poet.
♥ Touchof1der -
this is WONDERFUL! it puts me in mind of all the Irish folklore i love so much to read...i adore the line "unbounded by the leaden earth" ... oh just a beautiful piece, Bill! to have for just one moment what this "idiot" has...would be amazing!
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Nature's fool...not
"he would feel the rhythm
of the stars, and touch
the pulse of Heaven"
You left me smiling with this one, and half cryign, too! ....Great poem!
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Thank you, karabi,your comments are very much appreciated.
Regards,
Bad Bill -
INCOMPARABLE
For narratives we resort to stories and fictions. Now-a-days narrative poem is a rare thing, but this piece is an exception in many ways than one. In poetry you have a very limited room to manoeuvre, yet to achieve vividness in your description you need a lot of freedom. What has been achieved by the author here, I doubt if any expert prose writer will be able to surpass that. This one may be cited as a model of narrative poetry. And the story itself is superb and moving. Excellent work. Deserves many superlatives. -
Thanks, Gary, for responding so generously--glad you liked my piece.
Regards,
Bad Bill -
Truly a magnicifent piece!! Congrats!!
Gary -
Thanks, Barefoot, your comments are welcome. I guess the whole point of the poem is the fact that we don't easily accommodate anyone who doesn't conform to our notions of what's "normal."
Thanks for reading,
Bad Bill -
a very heart warming tale of one missunderstood. like the story line of teh poem. and the way you opend and returned to the original discription in you final stanza. well done.
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Many thanks, hood, I'm delighted people responded to my poem and, of course, very pleased to have achieved a trophy. Congratulations to you also, my friend.
Regards,
Bad Bill -
Hi, Scorpio, thanks for giving my poem a read. Glad you enjoyed.
You know, you're the second person to have mentioned the tarot deck, which is something that never occurred to me--I've never even seen a tarot deck. Fascinating, though, how we make connections which the author may not have intended.
All the best,
Bad Bill -
Simply breathtaking all the visuals you have woven here, great job and congratulaions on your trophy!
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super poem
Bad Bill, This poem is just great. This reminds me of the fool in the tarot deck, which is the most important card of all.
Super job!
Scorpio Rising -
Many thanks, Gypsy--really appreciate your encouraging response.
Cheers,
Bad Bill -
This is absolutely phenominal! I can totally relate to this piece, as I believe many can that have developed their higher mind and found it tends to label them things such as freak, witch, possessed etc. It is actually quite sad the fear the "gift" can provoke in others. Society always tends to shun and persecute what it doesn't understand, unfortunately. Congrats on a hard hitting piece of brilliance! I love this! Blessings, Gypsy
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Thank you very much, poetmasterspirit, for your encouraging words and I'm pleased you liked my poem. I must confess, though, that I know nothing of tarot cards, so the "subtle reference" is entirely coincidental!
All the best,
Bad Bill -
WOW! Another beautiful poem. I loved the subject matter of this. Nice choice of words and I like the way you described this boy. I see a subtle reference to the Tarot in this poem, in the words that mention a deck of cards, the finger of God or Yod as it is known in Hebrew that appears in the Ace of Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles in the Tarot. You make me want to meet the Shining Ones after reading this poem. To me, this boy is not an idiot, but a soul much more advanced than ours or that of the common man.
All the best,
Charishma
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Thanks, grannyeri, for your comments.
Regards,
Bill -
Years ago this one could be hung for being a witch - same kind of reasoning now that says he's special and should be left alone. Interesting write.
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Thanks, Glispa, for giving this one a read--your comments are appreciated.
Cheers,
Bad Bill -
i liked this, i know it isnt really meant ot be funny , but i couldnt help but compare some paragraphs ....
'They called him the idiot,
a fool; not playing with
the full deck, they said.
Poor eejit's a sandwich short
of a picnic'
you helped the perception of the villagers by saying he may have been touched by god's finger ! why not god's WHOLE hand as the saying goes
.... sorry but it just ticked me 
given this i loved the story behind it
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