Neither nor
the chores of life or gore
of rack and knife;
we’re never blessed with rest
or dreamless sleep,
we’re neither well nor sick.
We walk in circles, talk
too much of lesser matters,
repeating, chatter and forget,
We wait in tepid lavishness
of lack.
We’re never hungry, never full,
we linger low, exist
in mist and rain
in snow and gloom between
success and doom.
Waiting by Vladimir Makovsky
Linked to dVerse Poetics where Michael wants us to write about limbo. I have always been intrigued about Dante’s concept of Limbo where the virtuous heathen’s where left in a place of waiting. Also linking to Tuesday Open Platform at Toads.
Björn Rudbergs writings 
The blase’ of limbo. i’m reminded of the scene in Beetlejuice where they are sitting in hell’s waiting room and how ordinary it seemed (even though filled with monsters). Perfect photo to go with it.
Sartre wrote a play about this, I believe; entangled in existentialism. I like your lines /we wait in tepid lavishness of lack/.
Really well done Bjourn! ❤
We wander, we wait, we complain… I need to try and do better.
Great write, especially these lines:
We wait in tepid lavishness
of lack.
Nice lines: “We wait in tepid lavishness
of lack.”
Limbo…neither here nor there!
The state of being human… The roll of the dice determines whether were have lavishness or lack! An interesting take on Limbo.
It does sound like a kind of Hell when you put it like that.
That is a potent expression of limbo Björn, well conceived and well written!
I specially love that second stanza – the waiting is truly agonizing.
A nice repertoire of in limbo states. Betwixt and between?
..
This is one of the most astoundingly accurate descriptions of human existence I’ve ever read.
I had not read of Dante’s limbo but it feels much like earth – love the musicality of this poem and the rhythm you have given this poem is so right for the endless waiting for this and that – I especially liked:
“We wait in tepid lavishness
of lack.”
‘We wait in tepid lavishness of lack’….what a line!
I think the souls in limbo are supposed to just ‘exist’. But also to be frustrated and depressed at what they have been deprived of. A subtle torture.
This “in-between” stage/state is so well portrayed, Bjorn! The wry existentialism in your words is very evocative.
This is incredibly poignant, Bjorn! ❤️ Being human we are never really satisfied are we? 🙂 It’s been a pleasure reading and writing alongside you this April!
I wonder too.. but there is always a sense of being trapped.
We walk in circles, talk
too much of lesser matters… I so agree!!
One of your very best!! I love it!
Waiting in vain is so senseless – I prefer to be doing something productive. You’ve put it so well in the lines:
‘We walk in circles, talk
too much of lesser matters,
repeating, chatter and forget,
We wait in tepid lavishness
of lack.’
I feel like Limbo is a place on earth. Unlike Dante’s unfortunates, we can break free, but we have to get past the gravitational pull keeping us inert.
Even before reading your note, the word “limbo” crossed my lips. I, too, have wondered… mostly about what sort of builder would create such a place.
The endless waiting amidst vapid chatter where nothing ever happens. It sounds horrible.
It makes me think of a current TV show called “The Good Place.” It’s a comedy. There’s the good place (Heaven) and the bad place (Hell), but there’s one woman who lives in a medium place where she has things, like music, but only The Eagles, and beer, but it’s always warm, and TV, but only mediocre shows. And she lives in a sort of nondescript suburban house by herself.
So well done, Bjorn. That second stanza is stunning.
oh, the many faces of limbo
This has a flavor of J Alfred Prufrock to me, Bjorn – where the women come and go, speaking of Michelangelo. Thanks for adding in your voice ~
lavishness of lack… you did well with limbo!