Wow..what an ending! Larry your recent poems keep getting deeper and more touching. This is jist an amazing piece. One that I find sad as equall as dark..it more feels liks a self confrontation "to me" the second half was mt favorite. Simply touching and one relates to.

The questions raised in each verse, are so easy to make the reader question himself. Pretty clear and direct, yet getting under the skin with thoughts, emotions, and question marks.

The darkness in this poem and its contradiction with the title " Harmony" which reflects for the 1st hint an image of clarity, gave these verses a mixture of bitterness.

Is it wrong to shut off a part of me ? < what a painful questionary-statement.

Absolutely praise worthy.

Judging comment:

I love this. That opening line speaks volumes and I feel like anyone who has gone through a period of suffering can relate to. Sometimes the most basic thing we yearn for is the hardest to achieve.

The second verse is my favourite. So often we don't admit that we want some peace from those we love the most because it is 'wrong' to feel that way, because we should put their needs and wants before ours. But we can not look after others until and only when we look after ourselves first.

I could be way off base here but the last few lines lead me to believe you were locked away so long that you eventually died and that leads to a very strong ending and one that I wasn't expecting; as I expected you to find peace and rest before returning in a better place.

I really enjoyed this.