The void of unreciprocated energy
Drip
Caring actions
Drip
Supportive words
Drip
A listing ear
Drip
A helping hand
Drip
Drip
Drip
Into the black void
Of unreciprocated energy
Thoughts from your mind
Disappearing
Down, down
Chunks from your heart
Swirling
Around, around
Pieces from your soul
Swilling
Into darkness
There is no counterflow
From this churning spiral
Nothing is returned
From this infinite chasm
of take, take, take
Until the relentless pit
Has sucked in
everything
Leaving behind
a dispirited husk
No longer capable
Of giving
by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My second poem was inspired by a recital, by Rebecca Budd, of a poem called the Crystal Gazer by Sara Teasdale. You can listen to Rebecca’s rendition here: https://ladybudd.com/2022/04/08/the-crystal-gazer-by-sara-teasdale/
My poem, called The Relentlessness of Life was my poetic response. You can listen to it here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Df9Di9UlCI0
I have poems in a new WordCrafter anthology which also features poetry by Arthur Rosch, Elizabeth Merry, D Avery, Harmony Kent, Lauren Scott, Julespaige, Leon Stevens, Colleen M. Chesebro, Miriam Hurdle, Marjorie Mallon, and Lynda McKinney Lambert.
roberta-writes.com 
So sad yet beautiful and spot on, Robbie 💕🙂
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Thank you, Harmony. I feel much better now I’ve written this [smile]
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Such passionate poetry… It comes so naturally to you, my friend. ❤
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Thank you, Annette. I’m glad you enjoyed.
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The “drip” refrain is sad but so effective. Great poem, Robbie!
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Thank you, Priscilla.
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My sentiments exactly, Priscilla!
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Thank you, Liz
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Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
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Thank you, Ed.
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We do need reciprocation. You’ve really captured the feeling of hopelessness. (K)
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HI Kerfe, thank you. I’m glad this format worked for the message.
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I love the repetition of “drip” in the first poem. Both are powerful works. Best wishes with the anthology.
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Thank you, Staci. I’m glad you appreciated the format of the first poem. It was something new for me.
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The first is so sad but also very dramatic. Well done, Robbie!
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Thank you, Mae. I’m glad the format worked for this type of poem.
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Gorgeous and poignant poem, Robbie.
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Thank you, Jude
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I am thankful I’ve never felt that way. You color the emotions well.
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Hi Jacqui, I am glad you have never felt this way. I’m glad you appreciated this poem.
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Two VERY compelling, powerful poems, Robbie — and I like the variety of you presenting them in writing and via video.
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HI Dave, thank you, I am glad you appreciated these two poems. Some relationships and situations are unsolvable and you have to sever the ties or break them in order to move on to better things.
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…cool poem!
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Thank you
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I under, stand exactly what it’s like dripping into the bottomless chasm, Robbie! It drained all of my energy for years. I was glad to be out of it. Very emotional and powerful poem, Robbie.
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Thank you, Miriam.
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I had the same experience, Miriam. By the end, my career had turned into the soul-sucking abyss Robbie’s first poem describes. I am so glad to be out of it.
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I understand so well, Liz. Not only soul-sucking, I got stabbed on my back. Imagine, after 25 years of working, I don’t have friends at the school district. Well, I can count in one hand of number of people I kind of keep in touch. All I get is a decent retirement from my 25 years. That counts as something, I guess, but not relationship.
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HI Miriam, I am so sorry to know that. I am rather surprised that it is like this in the teaching environment. Corporates are know for this, but I expected the world of teaching to be better.
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That’s a shame, Miriam. Back-stabbing was also part of my untimely exit.
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Sorry to hear that, Liz. It happened to me when I was in administration. When many administrators got sent back to the classrooms because of declining student enrollment, I was in the first wave. I put up with it and got my 25 years of services. Many teachers got a master’s degree in administration to get a pay increase and just stay in the classrooms. They didn’t want the ugly politics.
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The ugly politics of higher ed administration is what did me in as well.
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I am sorry to hear that but at least you could retire and are now doing something you like. For me, this poem is not about work, it is about family.
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Your’re right that this situation is much, much harder when it involves family.
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Salman Rushdie wrote that “A poet’s work … to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it from going to sleep.” And Robert Frost wrote that “A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.” Your poetry, Robbie, speaks truth and allows us to explore emotions that are difficult and complex. And when we embrace these emotions, I believe that we gain a greater understanding of who we are and how we engage within an ever changing and evolving world. I love listening to your recitations!!
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Rebecca! Thank you for these amazing quotes. I’ve shared the first to FB. I am glad my poems make you face your own relationships and other life complexities head on. That is its purpose. I wrote a poem about a crocodile yesterday which I will share on Thursday. I think it is rather hard hitting about conservation.
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Powerful poetry, Robbie! Sharing…
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Thank you, Bette.
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I appreciated the positive note on which “The Relentlessness of Life” ended.
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Thank you, Liz. All relationships and events will end positively if you take the right steps to re-direct them. If re-direction fails, you have to cut out the problem.
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You’re welcome, Robbie. I’ve always had a very hard time with cutting out the problem.
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It is hard for us all, Liz. I am a very sensitive person and recently I’ve decided I can’t continue to just be a doormat to people because they are related to me. There comes a time when lack of responses to invitations, cancelling at the last minute, not providing any emotional or financial support to needy parents, and behaving selfishly in every way has to break the camel’s back.
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Wonderful expressions of emotion. I can also relate to that first poem. Fortunately that episode in my life is long behind me.
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Hi Chris, I am glad to know that. I am having to break some ties now and it is causing waves, but this time I am taking them on the chin. My oldest son, Greg, is keeping my buoyed up with support. He is such a great lad.
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It’s hard, but it’s worth it in the end. Three cheers for Greg!
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Beautiful Robbie. I look forward to reading this collection.
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Hi Denise, thank you, this poem was rather cleansing for me.
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Powerful and poignant, Robbie!
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Thank you, Jan.
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Simple words repeated can be so powerful Robbie. It hits the spot! x
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Thank you, Marje. A new style of writing for me, but it was effective for this poem.
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Great job Robbie. 🙂
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Beautiful poetry, Robbie. The void of unreciprocated energy was so stark. I could feel the energy draining, and it felt familiar. Which isn’t good! I hope that’s not reflective of your experience. I listened to the other and saw them much as a pair, though the second poem had more strength to it, to me. It’s hard to be a caregiver, especially when being pulled from both ends.
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Hi Diana, the two poems are a pair but are also opposite. The first concerns dealing with situations that arise in life and which are unavoidable, regardless of how awful they are, like illness with a child. You have to take it and deal with it. The first poem is about cutting out relationships and situations where effort is not reciprocated and which become a complete energy suck with no return. I am sorry this felt familiar to you.
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It’s been a few tough years, Robbie. I think your darker poems resonate with me, which is why I like them so much. 😀
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Your first poem is beautiful, yet heart-wrenching, Robbie, and the format made it powerful, driving the point home. I enjoyed listening to you read your second poem that spoke the truth about life, but also offered wisdom to live by.
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Hi Lauren, thank you for reading and listening. The first poem was an explosion of recognition and redirection.
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All very powerful poems, Robbie. They make us think about our world and what we put into it as well as what we get back. That is the biggest reason I try to focus on even the small positives.
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HI Carla, I am also a positive person. I think there comes a time though, when you have to stop feeding a black hole.
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You are absolutely right, Robbie.
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Your verse reminds me of my father’s last days. He wasn’t there for most of those days…
But I did get to say goodbye.
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It is so hard, isn’t it? I’m glad you got to say goodbye.
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