INtErPrEt tHiS pOeM pLz?

Question:Those who linger too long over the abyss,
without the lifeline of beliefs to tug them back,
slowly watch their moral centers disappear into fathomless depths.
They are left only with vague concepts of reality,
which they arrange hap-hazardly,
in an effort to construct temporary meanings of life.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Those who linger too long over the abyss,
without the lifeline of beliefs to tug them back,
slowly watch their moral centers disappear into fathomless depths.
They are left only with vague concepts of reality,
which they arrange hap-hazardly,
in an effort to construct temporary meanings of life.

It's not a poem.

What it seems to be saying is that people need fundamental beliefs (I assume that belief in God is what is meant) to give them a basis for morals. Otherwise, they are lingering over the abyss--an endless pit--nothing to build a foundation on. Eventually, their "moral centers" disappear into those depths. What they have left is ultimately vague, subjective and haphazard. They will construct their own system of morality/meaning to give their lives meaning, but these systems will be arbitrary and subject to change (temporary) because they are not ultimately based on anything.
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@Russell: "You're always going to get wild claims of "this is not a poem" etc from people who think they know an awful lot more than they know."

What do you know, then, my arrogant friend? What qualifies something as a poem in your mind? A gut feeling?

I think it means either if u think about death all the time, ure just wasting your life away, or if you always think about bad stuff all the time, it will eventually contrrol your thoughts and actions.

if you're constantly thinking about death and you aren't religious (so you don't have faith in Jesus salvation) you're doomed to a life of depression and sadness.

You're always going to get wild claims of "this is not a poem" etc from people who think they know an awful lot more than they know.

Ignore that, I think it's pretty good and I read a lot of poetry so you'll have your fans.

I don't think we need to go into interpretations, it seems quite clear to me, by way of critical suggestion, I would say line 2 might be stronger as;

"without the anchor of beliefs to hold them down"

and it would give you the option of continuing with imagery connected to the sea, which could tie in well here.

I also think you could cut "in an effort" from the last line, seems a bit clumsy because the word "temporary" is there too, perhaps 'makeshift' would fit better?

Just a thought.

I absolutely don't agree with the sentiment but find myself with the need to comment just the same; this says to me that you have succeeded in conveying your meaning with conviction and power.

So I re-read.

You have.

I would suggest you drop the commas at the end of the lines as they create pauses in what is really a complete poetic phrase, but otherwise I think you've done well.

Post this in the philosophy section and I will give you a different answer, I can assure you, but in poetry it gets a thumbs up.

Soldiers in war. Prisoners of war. Political detainees. Molested children. Orphans. Dementia patients.

Your poem can be interpreted in many ways. I would keep going but I am at the abyss and my moral compass says turn.

it's saying.. that people can't hold on to things that are not there..that there's a life to live... and when they're holding on to things that are kind of fake and unreal, they're throwing their life away, and through this "reality" they try to give a meaning to the life they're living, like provide excuses explaining why they still hang on to things that are just not there.. it's a fiction they're living in,, and they're giving everything they can to have the little piece of "life" they see in this fiction.. and so they're missing on the great part of life: the reality of it.