Thread: Numb's the Greatest Pain

You think you’re living the dream,
and I know what you mean.
Every time is an act of defiance,
and you don’t care what anyone thinks
because you’ve been let down
by the people
who were supposed to be there,
supposed to care, but they didn’t.
Now it’s all for loss.
Nothing sounds better than Hell.
The dream is a shell
that keeps you numb for your life.

You think that
love isn’t real
no matter what anyone feels
because it hurts to try,
but if you give into the raging hurricane
of the calm novocain,
you can curse at the world
‘cause you don’t care anymore
about the whore of a life
that brings you nothing but strife,
but you writhe in your dreams;
even the novocain seems
to tear at your soul,
but it’s numb now,
and nothing matters,
but that’s what hurts so much-
that purpose is shattered
and your life is thrown at the wind.

It hurts to live,
but it’s better than this.

‘cause you don’t care anymore
about the whore of a life
that brings you nothing but strife,

Considering the above lines along with defiance, shell, and raging hurricane, I must say the subject is quite traumatized. Just like me on Wednesday afternoon! *chuckle chuckle chuckle*
And as for "It hurts to live, / but it’s better than this," perhaps the narrator is dead and in Hell? Perhaps the narrator's death has caused the subject's trauma?

hmm I think the narrator is trying to say his emotional pain feels like a living hell, but the *hurts to live* part makes me think otherwise

Your title caught my attention immediately because there is so much truth to it. When it's all too much to feel pain we go numb. But the pain is still there, behind the defensive anesthetic. Below: that which I thought really lived up to the title.

The dream is a shell
that keeps you numb for your life.

What a fabulous similie!...a shell.

if you give into the raging hurricane
of the calm of the novocain,

Again, a brother to your title. Though, I believe you would have a better rhyme here if you include "of the"

Hurricane, novacain - Such diametrically opposed images. Really works!

You have a couple of outstanding images here. My suggestion would be to incorporate more. Thanks. A really good poem. Laurie

@ Trides- the narrator is the voice of experience that knows the pain of living a numb life... And why were/are you traumatized on Wednesday afternoon/s?

@ Laurie- You're dead on, and thanks! "of the" is a thought.

This is a bit on the prosaic side, Isaiah, but I love what you're saying. Your last two lines should be engraved in stone somewhere, excellent. Typo in novocaine, love, and I agree with Laurie wholeheartedly regarding the hurricane/novocaine lines, wonderful, that. In the final line of S2, I think you meant "thrown to the wind". I've grown quite adept at doing the numb thing over the years, sometimes I wonder if I'm really living at all, so this I really get. Thanks for sharing this one, hon.

Best,
Lisa

Lisa, I looked for Novocain, and it's actually the trademark for a drug called procaine. I found both spellings online, but this is the spelling recognized by spell-check. Also, I know that the expression is "thrown to the wind", but I wanted it to have a more personal/direct meaning(if that made since. which is better to you?). Thanks Lisa. Tackle life with all you've got. There's so much to live for.

~Isaiah

Originally Posted by Isaiah Lake

@ Trides- the narrator is the voice of experience that knows the pain of living a numb life... And why were/are you traumatized on Wednesday afternoon/s?

Oh, I see. So the narrator is trying to tell the subject to change his/her life and to stop hiding inside his/her superficial emotions?
Last Wednesday something slightly disturbing happened to me. That's all.

Originally Posted by Trides

Oh, I see. So the narrator is trying to tell the subject to change his/her life and to stop hiding inside his/her superficial emotions?
Last Wednesday something slightly disturbing happened to me. That's all.

Sort of... Most of us get complacent from time to time, but some people live their lives just going through the motions because they feel like there's nothing to live for. 'Numb' is basically synonymous to depression. Sometimes it hurts to live, but it's better than not living for a purpose. We all need something to live for.

How very philosophical. What do you live for, then?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." This is what I live for.

Then there is no place in your heart for anxiety? Sadness? Fear? Hatred?

anxiety, fear, and hatred: there shouldn't be if my heart is in the right place, but why not sadness?

hi isaiah, well i can definitly relate to your poem here, seems like i've been through that a few too many times. kurt vonnagut, in one of his novels drew a picture of a tombstone with an epitaph that read: "everything was beautiful, nothing hurt" which has always stuck with me... i guess sacasm has always been my favorite kind of numb. powerful white my friend.

in the last line of s1: "that keeps you numb for your life." the word "your" seems a little out of place, this line might be a little more powerful if you removed it and just said "numb for life". just a thought.

wood