Wasteland
An original dark speculative poem
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
This familiar saying encourages learning and applying knowledge to worthwhile pursuits. It can also take on a different meaning that’s equal parts frightening and depressing. One trope in speculative fiction and literary fiction alike is a character losing their mind. In a horror or science fiction tale, this can mean a descent into madness or a loss of identity. In a contemporary drama, it can mean a character suffering from a form of dementia or brain damage.
My latest poem speaks to this fear of living life as your mind slips away from you.
My mind is a blank canvas, awaiting a fresh brush stroke. Seeding colorful scenes filled with shades and hues, rivaling autumn leaves. Stuck with weathered brushes caked with old dried paint coating frayed bristles. These mock my inner vision. They offend my eyes. Seas of vibrant greenery once adorned this landscape. From horizon to horizon endless pure water flowed, nurturing abundant new life. Paradise faded like a dream, destroyed by a cunning serpent. Grass, flowers, and trees yielded to rocks and sand. Only a barren plateau remains.
Did you enjoy this poem? Check out other poetry in the Strange New Worlds archives.
This is another fantastic poem, John! Touches on our near-universal fear and gives us space to feel the dread.
I would have never thought of that. The trope of looking inside the mind of someone on the cusp of losing their identity, mind, or due to an illness didn’t click that its written in relation to that.
Now that I think of it, lots of TV shows and comics do this too.
I think its nice to think of that aspect, because we forget that this world has stories with these tropes. Without them, we get no growth in terms of characters. Not saying we need them but unfortunately they are something that is the unfortunate result of life.