Hollow self.
I'm just a shell,
a focus for your dreams.
You cut me out and dress me up and stick
me on your wall: that's what I'm for.
You see me and you love me, and
you think you long to be me,
wrap your loving arms around me
and possess me for your own.
Who is it that you're fooling?
You don't know me. You don't want me
and you do not want to know me
or to be me. That I know.
I have my dreams, old dreams,
all here
laid out before me, ripe and sweet,
fermenting in the blinding beams.
All that I ever wanted
I can take.
But from the pinnacle of life
every way is down. So
cling tightly to your cliff, with bruised
and broken fingers. Hold on, child,
for you are small. And in the end,
there's no-one there to catch you
should you fall.
I have made my choice:
spurned love for lust, for drugs and wealth and power
scorned unborn descendants
for empty fame.
So cut me out and dress me up and stick me on your wall
a million times.
I've sold my life and heart and soul
to live your dreams.
Author notes
Inspired, in a sense, by a film called "Rock Star" that I watched. Although most of it is my own ideas on the price of fame.
Written November 15th, 2004
What did you think
Comments
1 - 27 of 27
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It is a good poem... a little different topic that you wrote about, but it is still a good poem nonetheless. Good job, write on.
~Nikki -
A summation of the celebrity culture- is it the 'celebrities' who become victims of their 'fans' or do 'fan' become the gullible victims of the media which promotes these paragons. We destroy people we put on pedestals. I read the comment above, and to me, the first half of the poem reflected the general ennui, the conditioned response that insists upon the 'coolness of having the poster on the wall regardless of any real feeling for the person. The second half takes on the bitterness of the whole 'vicious circle'. Enjoyed the read very much.
Edited on Feb 15, 8:53 because ''. -
Wow , I seen that film. Brilliant poem. Very well written , so true. Keep up the good work. *Jade* XXX
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Hmmm, I'm not sure about how I feel about this one. I read the first few stanzas and felt them to be a little bland, predictable and without much originality. You portrayed your story and emotion well but it lacked that power to transport your poem into the 'good, enjoyable category.' It read as words rather than images and emotion... rather than a reflection of you and your poetic genius.
And then... something changed. Round about the fifth stanza right up until the end. I sat back, paid attention and delighted in your wonderful diction and beautiful originality. Tell me, did you write this in two halves? The second half was, in a single word, 'dynamite.' It seemed more passionate, filled with wonderful literary devices such as the alliteration in 'blinding beams' and 'love for lust.' The jagged lines seemed all the more displaced and gloriously manic... a real descent into madness... a believable rant.
Sooo... as I said, still not sure about how I feel about this poem. I've tried my best to explain why but sometimes that isn't good enough. The thing about poetry is that everybody reads it in a different way and I'm still not entirely sure if others would agree with my feeling it to be so radically different in calibre from start to finish.
I haven't seen many poems on this topic from the stance you portrayed and I praise you for that... but other than that... I honestly don't know if I liked it or not.
~Faded -
Very nicely penned with a great flow, seemingly a bit of a rant. This reminds me of Emenim's lyrics in his rap, "The Way I Am" when he says;
"I'm so sick and tired of bein admired
that I wish that I would just die or get fired".
You gotta feel for the famous, unless they stay secluded they don't get a break. But then, that's not a bad consequence I guess, not for the fame anyway, or maybe for some it is. Good write!
~mt~
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I don't really care for the second part, it seems a bit placid, and the 3 part from the bottom seems un-needed but without it the rest after it would seem bleak at best.
I feel in those two areas it could use a bit condensing and/or re-wording.
Other than that, a good piece that you have written here.
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Very awesome style here. I loved the way this free verse flowed. It just pulled my head inside the words. I felt so many impressions from the lines in this poem, and I really liked the way you let the sentences wrap around the stanzas, instead of the other way around. I thought that it affected and molded the way my thoughts formed on this poem. Great write here, keep it up.
-Renae. -
interesting. I like the concept, it's so thought provoking. nice write!
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Nice use of imagery throughout this very different and unique poem. Write on.
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powerful
Ooh!I like it very much. Ineresting topic to write about, one I've never come across before. Repetition, and the parenthesis, adds to the angry/confused/spontaneousley speaking in a way, but it's still very powerful.
"So cut me out and dress me up and stick me on your wall".
Great phrase, it's still running through my head.
x -
Powerful!
Strong writing and sobering thoughts!
I love:
"But from the pinnacle of life
every way is down"
True for all who attain too much 'power' to handle...
Cheers! -
I like this it shows the harsh reality of a situation, it was really well written and flowed really esily very nice job keep it up!!!
P.S. - After reading this I'm glad I don't have any posters of rock stars on my walls lol. -
GAH! Internet wouldnt let me comment at first. Great poem.
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Did not mean to click here twice. Please pardon me. Hugs, Patricia
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nice nice! the metaphor of rock and roll to your soul is a very intelligent idea for a poem!
I loved it, it really made me thinkof how much i love things. it seems as though they are your family huh. stay in touch, comment my poems, i'll comment yours !
-H.Trueblues -
Brilliant
Wow. This is so good. I read it twice
It made me think..You did a great job on this. I especially liked the ending:
"I've sold my life and heart and soul
to live your dreams."
Very original. Ive never seen a poem like this, so it makes it even more special. This is brillianrt. Thanks for sharing and keep it up.
Take care always
~Lana
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Your poem is really good and very interesting. A rock and roll star indeed. Your writing is superb. Patricia
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i really enjoyed this read, and i think you've hit the nail on the head with this. i like the way you point out that you're a cut-out, an empty dream for people who don't know you and in truth, don't even want to know you. you did such a good job with this poem! and i love the fact that the price of getting what you want is having what you want-how profound!
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Hey
I liked the concept of this... the first half though seemed hard to get started.. sort of common thoughts we all have so I could relate. The second half was much more creative and the word play was more enticing. -
On the "ground level", to use your term, it's going more into the kind of groupie-stalkerpart than fan- I have a small picture of Matt Bellamy cut out of a magazine and stuck to my notice board to use up a small space, and some pictures of bands playing live and Muse on the back of my music folder, that's it. But I got the feeling that you weren't being literal. I like the way you've shown how stars want to be famous, and they dreamed of it, but then when they are they feel more like some kind of sacrifice than a person who's fulfilled their dreams. They inspire people to become like them and then those few that DO are unhappy. It's a bit like having a God; they are worshipped without people thinking about the reality. Weeeeellll I suppose some rock stars are happy. Would you recognise Guy Berryman if you saw him walking down the street? Do you even know who he is? The star that epitomises this poem, for me, is Courtney Love.
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Wow, this is a really cool poem which I liked a lot Thanks for commenting on my column, it was interesting to hear your opinion although the pm doesn't meet with the queen as much as he used t
Great write, keep writing because this was really good
All the best,
Pozo
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i found this intersting , especially since i am a muscian of 25 years. and have followed music even longer and a menmber of most of the music groups.
the rock and roll lifestyle.
yh i can dig it.
lol
would i sell my soul
hell yeah
ilove playing music
ive been in and out of several bands in my life
and had a blast
aht can i say
its a gas
nice poem -
It's really cool. I have to agree with powerslave on this. Being a star seems wonderful...but no one really knows the truth.
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Ah, mass admiration, loads of money, world tours. It must be good to be a rock star. Apart from everyone licking your arse and when it all goes horribly wrong. But nothings perfect and nothing lasts forever. Nice poem though, well done.
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wow, this is great. You had great imagery with the 'bruised and broken fingers' part and you were right about the only way you can go after a while is down. This is just really really good. Great write.
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Great
I love it. It's sot true. -
thats a pretty good movie. the cut me out, dress me up part was my favorite. so was the part about from the top of the world u can only go down. but the little man gave me an image of like, a dwarf or a leprechan.
lol.
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