I am sure I will regret this.
I wrote a poem that I will not share.
Fingers froze before it was uploaded.
Just a tiny fragment of soft despair
Shown briefly till confidence eroded.
It is discarded, no evidence left.
The emotions put back inside their cage.
No outward sign betrays I am bereft.
No-one looking for what goes on backstage.
These words are not the ones that I wrote then.
Yet even these burn and reek of defeat.
Hide and seek played out again and again.
Reaching out but stepping back in retreat.
When I compare to others I feel shame,
I should espouse hope, yet lately have none.
Holding on feels like trying to grasp flame.
Luckily this rubbish rhyme is near done.
I wrote a poem I wish you had read.
With this I offer excuses instead.
@BastionKnight
That is so good you should wite more. Express your thoughts & feelings how ever you need to. I have poetry myself nobody will ever see.
@selfdisciplinedLion4579
Thank you for your supportive words, they are very much appreciated. I empathise fully with how you have said you have crafted poems that others will not see. If they are of a similiar calibre to the poem you have posted on the forums I feel it is a great shame. I hope you will feel confident/comfortable enough to share more of your work.
Thank you again for taking the time to leave a message.
@BastionKnight You always write such amazing poems Bastion. It can be incredibly hard to reach out and ask for help.
@mytwistedsoul
*Bows humbly and gratefully*
Your praise is very kind indeed, and I am so moved by your lyrical message as well as the sentiments it conveys. I am embarrassed that I posted it, but your benevolent words have lessened the sting of embarrassment a little.
Thank you for reading it, and apologies that it is not really up to much. I shall try to do better.
@BastionKnight This is beautifully raw and I truly appreciate you sharing even this version of what was almost left unsaid. There is something deeply human in the hesitation, in the instinct to reach out and then retreat... who hasn’t felt that push and pull? And yet even in this “rubbish rhyme” (which for the record... is anything but rubbish. Sir Knight never writes anything rubbish.. even your exasperated sighs are poetic) you have managed to capture that quiet, unspoken ache so many of us carry (especially me). I wish I could have read the poem you held back but I’m grateful for the honesty of what you’ve given instead. Sometimes even the words we think aren’t enough are exactly what someone else needs to hear.
Also... I have noticed this recurring theme in your poems... the contrast between outward perception and inner reality, the idea of a veiled or a caged identity. And I just want you to know that even if it feels like the person you present to the world is not the same as the one inside, both are undeniably you. You’re the sum of both parts, not two separate existences. And you, Sir Bastion Knight—your personality, your chivalry, and your mindset all speak volumes. I hope you realize that both you and your poetry are deeply appreciated. Also, I couldn’t help but notice you haven’t been around on 7Cups lately… or maybe that just proves I’m chronically online with no life whatsoever. Either way... your presence—and even your absence—never go unnoticed (I promise I’m not a stalker… though I realize that’s exactly what a stalker would say) * Apologies for the essay and, I hope I haven’t overstepped any virtual boundaries . Feel free to call it out, if I have.*
I hope you are doing well. Sending you warmth and good vibes *we are breaking the 4th wall with this one *💙
@azurePond
I do not have words. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I felt (and feel) a great deal of embarrassment that I could not rein in the impulse to post this. It is very touching that you say you would have liked to have seen the poem this one references, but that one is very much gone (deleted and my hand written stuff also destroyed). And I very much am grateful that you have tried to let me off the hook with your insightful comments on the push and pull between the need to express and to obfuscate. I am truly sorry that you ever experience such a feeling.
Your perceptive analysis of what I write/have written and the supportive things you say are always thankfully received. I am very choked up reading parts of your message. Saying that my presence or absence is noted has meant more to me than you probably realise, and certainly far more than I can express. Please rest assured that I do not consider anything you have written to overstepped any boundaries; it was thoughtful, kind, comforting, and humorously delivered. I appreciate every single word. "Sometimes even the words we think aren’t enough are exactly what someone else needs to hear." - azurePond
@BastionKnight I do not think I can fully express how much your words mean to me. Please don’t feel embarrassed—sometimes the impulse to share comes from a place that knows we need to, even when our conscious mind resists. I truly respect the depth of feeling behind what you’ve written and while the poem you referenced may be gone... its echoes still linger in the way you speak about it. That, in itself, says so much.
As someone who always feels like the kindness I receive is not deserved—that imposter syndrome whispering that this is not the real me, that the real me is despicable and unworthy of love or kindness—I understand these sentiments. Not exactly what you're going through, of course...we may have different struggles, different histories. But at the core, there’s that same self doubt, maybe even self hatred. And I always wonder—why can’t I offer even an ounce of the kindness I reserve for strangers to myself? Maybe it’s because I know myself too well, in a way no one else does. From a young age, we’re told not to judge others, yet we judge ourselves relentlessly. Or maybe it’s because we measure ourselves against some higher, unattainable version of who we think we should be. Either way, that inner voice is brutal. And most days, in my case, it wins. But even then, somewhere in the distance... there’s a feeble voice that still says "It lies."
I’m incredibly grateful that my words have resonated with you and even more so that you feel comforted rather than burdened by them. Your presence, your writing and the way you navigate the tension between expression and concealment all carry a sincerity that is deeply moving. And if anything I’ve said has offered even the smallest reassurance..... then I am glad beyond words. Because this is the smallest reassurance that I wish that I sometime receive and sometimes I do receive it from kind people around me (and feels burdened by it ..lol...) So if that voice made you feel like -" Azure Pond has to say this to make me feel good", in a negative way . Then this to that voice - Yes, Azure Pond did say this to make Bastion Knight feel good. No, she would not hate if she knew Bastion Knight in real life (I can give you list of people I hate - that is like 5 people who deserve to be in jail or worse get cancelled by the internet). And no, Bastion Knight is not a fake identity, it is the part of real Bastion Knight. Also, his poems are one of the best poems I have ever read. Also, I am chronically online and, have a good typing speed ..this essay did not take me much time.
You are always welcome here...whether with words you feel are enough or ones you fear are not. Sometimes... just being here is enough!
Take care, Sir Knight!
@azurePond
*Smiles gratefully for everything you have said and for the benevolent drive that induced you to write them in the first place*
Your kindness and sensitivity shall spur me on to try harder.
@BastionKnight sits beside you and hugs you tightly 💗 this is still a very beautiful poem, although I really wish I could have read the other one too 💗poetry is a great way to express your feelings and thoughts and you always do this in such a unique way, I really do love your poems💖 I can feel the sadness and pain in your words, and it's a message of something we all do but wish we had the courage not to. Honey it's ok to show your vulnerable side too 💗 I love you 💗
@Tinywhisper11
Your gestures are so amazingly considerate, and I wish so much that I was worthy of such kindness. It makes my heart leap to hear you like any of my poems and so humbly beg your forgiveness about this one. Bastion has been remiss, and knows he really really should have kept shtum. For it is very important to me to do no harm and foster good feelings in others, and that extends to what I write.
It is very hard to be shown such kindness by one of my heroes when I am cognisant that I do not deserve it. I will do better and strive to earn the affectionate support you have bestowed.
@BastionKnight my heart is breaking for you right now🙁 I love you because you are you, that will never change, through tears, laughter and everything in between I'm always here for you 💗 I wish I could be there to give you a real hug right now 💗
@Tinywhisper11
That you feel that way and expressed it so beautifully is testament to why you are such an excellent person and a hero to me. The hug is felt as is the sentiment behind it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
*Bows with the deepest respect and overwhelming humility*
@BastionKnight 🫂💖 love you 💗
@BastionKnight yes you didn't share what you wrote back then. yes you might regret it sometime later in the span. but one thing i can surely say, that with this beautiful introspective poem, you showed how strong you are. how strong you are to admit to what you didn't, we ppl write poems because they make us feel more seen, and somewhat less vulnerable than actuality (oh damn human psychology), im glad you put your thoughts into your beautiful poem. i haven't read it but im sure it is beautiful not because of the words or the phrases, but because you wrote it out of pure heart and pure thoughts. you're an amazing person. loads of love.
@suu1309
Thank you so much for your supportive and uplifting message. It is reassuring to be reminded that good people such as yourself are out in the world and offering words of encouragement to those who might need that little bit of a nudge picking themselves up and getting back on their feet.
The praise you have bestowed I am very sure I do not warrant, but nevertheless, I shall utilise those undeserved words to push myself towards something that closer resembles the person you image in might be. I sincerely thank you.
@BastionKnight
I can feel the weight of every word you’ve shared, the gravity so fragile and raw, only to push it away out of fear. I sense the lilt of vulnerability in this poem and you know, it's okay to feel uncertain, to hesitate, and to retreat. It doesn’t devalue who Bastion Knight is to me and others in this virtual realm.
Your absence has been felt and I do hope you find solace in mental recalibration.
@ZenArashi
Your message means a great deal to me, and it makes me wince a little less at knowing what I wrote is out in the world now. To hear that my absence is ever noted at all is not something I would expect, and it effects me very strongly (in a pleasant, if somewhat choked-up way). Thank you so much for taking the time to write something so kind. It has brought soothing warmth to my day.
@azurePond, @mytwistedsoul, @Tinywhisper11, @selfdisciplinedLion4579, @suu1309, @ZenArashi
I am overwhelmed by your collective outpouring of gentle magnanimity and tender benignity. It has taken me by surprise and left me feeling very humble indeed. BK is a very boring topic, so I shall not waste any of your time discussing the motivations of that flawed creature. All I would like to convey is how profoundly touched I was by each of your messages. It was impossible to maintain a stoic demeanour whilst reading them, (so luckily Bastion was hidden away nicely in his cave at the time), and I could never have imagined my post would garner such responses. I still cringe to think that I wrote it, let alone had the gall to put it up here. Thus I am in your debt for treating me with such compassion. I apologise for the garbled gibberiterature I am now spouting, but I hope it helps articulate the depth of my gratitude.
*Bows deeply to you all*
@BastionKnight aww your so sweet 💗 I'm just gonna come sit in your cave with you🙂 and give you giiiiaaannt tiny hugs💖💖 when your ready to open up, I'll be ready to sit with you and hugs you💖💖 I'm so grateful I get to call you my friend 💗 I love you 💗
@BastionKnight There is no debt Knight. 💜 It's exhausting being stoic all the time. Should you ever need anything, any of us would gladly wade into battle beside you
@BastionKnight There is no debt… there is no cringe (cringes as I type this because emotions and being human make me cringe)… okay....cringe is unavoidable.
It’s like Dostoevsky said in the brothers Karamazov—all cool and talented peeps are afraid of being cringe to the point that they avoid doing amazing things and remain depressed instead.…well... actually he said “Nowadays almost all capable people are terribly afraid of being ridiculous and are miserable because of it”.....but you get the idea. So if you feel cringe,...you’re a good and capable person (ignore the appeal to consequences fallacy) what I meant is: there is no debt, cringe is inevitable (like Thanos) and garbled gibberiterature is just something Tolstoy wrote in the first page of War and Peace—because why do we need so many characters, so many words… so many— realizes I’m currently writing garbled gibberiterature … So no worries, no debts and some unavoidable cringe that should not be bothered about ...Sir Knight. Take care. And like all the wonderful people here has said....you can always depend on us to be an ally in some battles. *bows *
@BastionKnight
I think you’ve more than earned that outpouring of compassion. It’s no surprise that your honesty and vulnerability shine through in such a raw and beautiful way. And as for your "garbled gibberiterature," trust me, I’d argue it’s more like poetic brilliance in disguise! It's that kind of openness that creates a space for connection, and we’re connected in myriad ways. FYI, in case Bastion did peek out from his cave, he’ll discover how much warmth in such a shared space.
@BastionKnight no debt, no garbled gibberiterature, no boredom, none. just a poetic genius whose existence itself is a blessing to the world. you are adored bastion, for the person you are. i appreciate you a lot. any time you need to express, you've got shoulders to rest your head upon, even mine. stay happy friend, you're amazing.