Let The Real Surface – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse Mish is hosting Poetics with an invitation to select an image by surrealist Erik Johansson, for more details follow the link below.

dVerse Poets – Poetics – Slipping Into Surrealism With Erik Johansson

Image: ‘this-one-2’ by Eric Johansson https://www.erikjo.com/work

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.” Carl Jung

Let The Real Surface

Not everything is obvious,
mostly we ignore the shadow play,
we sublimate while submerging
all sense of what nips at our heels,
waving while we are silently drowning
in that which is buried deep within,
our front is very fetching, so acceptable,
yet all the while it is so volatile, 
and at the same, it is unreal,
though we dare not admit this
for fear of implosion,
there are glimpses in moments
of vulnerable reflection,
slivers of opportunity to
reverse the grip we hold so tightly,
glimpses easily dismissed if glossed,
in letting go, the real surfaces.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️

29 Comments

Filed under awareness, Free Verse, identity, life, poem, psychology, quote

29 responses to “Let The Real Surface – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

  1. I like where you took this, using the Jung quote with the image.

    Liked by 4 people

  2. “for fear of implosion” I like the sentiment here. xo Great words throughout. xoxo

    Liked by 4 people

  3. These are beautiful and profound words!

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Excellent take on that image. I think dream analysis can be a way to do it.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Love: “we sublimate while submerging
    all sense of what nips at our heels,
    waving while we are silently drowning”

    Now I wave while doggie paddling, and sometimes taking breaks to thrash about the water.🤣

    Comforting to know others understand those glimpses. The last line is amazing.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. I love this. So perceptive and enlightening. I agree that we cover the “real” so cleverly. Sometimes I imagine a world where we all let go of the “gloss”. Thought-provoking, Paul and it really brought a voice to the image.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Your poem reminds me of late-night Jungian conversations with my dad.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. The image looks, at first, so serene; I had to look at it upside down to get the real gist of it, which you have conveyed in your poem, Paul. I love the title and the lines, especially the nod to Stevie Smith:
    ‘we sublimate while submerging
    all sense of what nips at our heels,
    waving while we are silently drowning’.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. A very insightful and meaningful response. We shouldn’t easily dismiss these inner thoughts, because the external and what we see out there may not be the reality. See out that vulnerable reflections.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Just beautiful 💕💕

    Like

  11. We let go of those ‘ slivers of opportunity’ so easily..

    Like

  12. That last line says it all, Paul! Beautiful piece!

    Liked by 1 person

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