Tell me, why did you make me from half hate?
You could not have made your disgust clearer.
I was wanted only as your mirror,
so long as I reflect what makes you great—
a legacy I don’t appreciate.
Though others exclaim at my raw power,
I shut that side away, spurned that “our”
to define “me” and shun ideas of fate.
But isn’t that “our” already “mine”
when I wield it with a strong will to serve
humanity, not just my own ego?
Parts of me I thought were you can align
with my scarred self to be a true hero
and at last find the wholeness I deserve.
 |
| Shoto Todoroki |
Liner Notes for this Groove: This poem was created for my prompt at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads where I encouraged everyone to get out of their comfort zone and try something new, either in style or theme.
Soooo...I probably should have realized earlier on, that meant me too. 😂
I racked my brain to come up with something and made a face when it hit me. As I'm not super comfortable working with rhymes and meter, never had I ever attempted a sonnet before. So I looked it up, and decided on a petrachan sonnet with CDECED form for the last part.
This was pretty tough! But I did make things easier for myself picking a subject I was comfortable with--anime, specifically, My Hero Academia. For those unfamiliar with it, it's a series about a bunch of kids with super powers in an elite high school learning how to become heroes. Shoto Todoroki, isn't the main character of the series, but he's an engaging side character. The son of the number two hero, Endeavor, he's easily one of the most powerful kids in his class. But he relies mostly on the powers he's inherited from his mother (ice) because his fire-flinging father is a cruel jerk, more invested in his image as a powerful hero than in any actual ideals of heroism.
Thank you for the blast of Linkin Park, Rommy, for a great prompt that got me out of my comfort zone, and for writing in what used to be my favourite, my go-to form – the sonnet!
ReplyDeleteYou have my extreme admiration for that. Sonnets are tricky things!
DeleteThis is gorgeously rendered, Rommy!💖 Especially like; "I was wanted only as your mirror,so long as I reflect what makes you great—a legacy I don’t appreciate."😊
ReplyDeleteThanks Sanaa. That line stood out to me too when I re-read it.
DeleteI feel better now. Because I, too, suffered trying to figure out what "different" thing try. After nearly weeping at the thought of rhyming, I found something.
ReplyDeleteAbout your poem, wow! The first line is devastating. It reads like the heart of the mixed child of a person who really hates himself. The speaker is all rage and hurt in the beginning. I love that by the time we get to the end, we see him marching towards better.
And yes, I need to watch the show.
Yes, you must! LOL the new season is starting soon, and everyone at House Driks is psyched for it. We all have our favorite characters we can't wait to catch up on. Todoroki is a favorite of mine, but so is Deku, the main character.
DeleteBravo, Rommy!
ReplyDelete*curtseys*
DeleteA confident step beyond your comfort zone and a poem that raises many thoughts and questions
ReplyDeleteThanks Jae
DeleteI don't know about you but I think mirrors always lie. If you look acceptable in yours everyone else will see the opposite.
ReplyDeleteI'm always suspicious of anything that reminds me I need at least a solid 7 hours sleep so I don't look like a zombie.
DeleteOh Rommy, this has grit, and teeth, and power! Often in relationships one party has to shrink to serve the desired dominance of the other — never really healthy... and seldom endures if it is too extreme. We all must stand and be who we are. A strong relationship has each party celebrated by the other from time to time — IMHO.
ReplyDeleteOh absolutely, in an ideal world there should be mutual respect. I hadn't considered this particular nuance to the piece, but like that its there.
DeleteA difficult form and a difficult topic - you have captured that character so well, and I, too, am glad by the end he was finding his own power.
ReplyDeleteLOL, hopefully Shoto's story arc will continue to be positive in the new season of the series. They've hinted at other ways his father's legacy might drag him down in future episodes. I hope he and all the other students at UA rise to the occasion.
DeleteI love your poem Rommy! Well done! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThat first line is a doozy; it really grabs you. I like that he was able to find a more positive frame of mind in the end. That's the best kind of healing... shaping your pain into something to bring joy to others.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Reba. It was a giant challenge to express what I wanted in this format. I'm stoked to hear that the lines landed the way I wanted them too. :)
DeleteYou met your own challenge head-on. I tried a form I find very difficult as well. Took a long time.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I attempted it, but boy was it a challenge!
DeleteAn entertaining sonnet with a tale that resonates with managing a dysfunctional relationship. Thanks for the back story- it made it all come together.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vivian! LOL, I just wanted to get more people into watching that series.
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