Stare Case

A Poem by Andrew John

Freeverse

The softest light bathes me in a gentle hum
yet my struggle should unfold as I try
to make that light fantastic.
I seek purpose - but find none.
Fingers dance above the keys: A, S, D, F.

In my brain is a labyrinth of doubt. It echoes, and yet
is that a silent spark?
Have I at last found purpose -
or do I wish to scream?

So scream at the screen,
to try to drown out the hum
of pieces of a puzzle from
this computer. It looks at me
and it and I exchange our stares.

(8 Mar 2026)

© 2026 Andrew John

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Reviews

JayG

• The softest light bathes me in a gentle hum

One of the problems of poetry is that it tells HIGHLY condensed stories, making maximum use of context already residing in the reader’s mind to provide context.

1. But...soft light can mean dim. It can mean coming from multiple directions, so there are no shadows. You know which is meant, but the reader can’t.
2. From a reader’s viewpoint: How can light hum? Answer: it can’t. Hum is an auditory term.

• yet my struggle should unfold as I try

1. Line 1 had no punctuation, yet was a complete sentence. But this isn’t. L1 should have been punctuated as an aid to the reader's understanding.
2. How does someone fold or unfold a struggle? You know, because you have intent and backstory driving your understanding. The reader? No clue. But...in all but a very few cases, a reader requires context as they read each word.

There’s a lot to writing poetry that’s not obvious, and a lot of tricks that make the job easier. They have, after all, been refining the skills of poetry for thousands of years. So, take advantage of that and dig into those skills, via a good book on the basics, like Mary Oliver’s: A Poetry Handbook. It’s an absolute gem of a book, and filled with little surprises.