{"seoTitle":"Knots — A Poem on Inner Conflict and the Sailor of the Soul by Pemba Umoja","seoDescription":"A meditation on the knots that twist within — the coward who whispers conform, the rebel who screams cut the rope. A contemplative poem by Pemba Umoja.","keywords":"poem about inner conflict, sailor of the soul, conform or rebel poem, contemplative poetry, Pemba Umoja poems","s1l1":"There is what you need,","s2l1":"what twists your stomach in knots,","s3l1":"like a master sailor","s3l2":"navigating the ocean of soul.","s4l1":"The knots twist,","s4l2":"contort,","s4l3":"pull,","s4l4":"scrape,","s5l1":"and you go about your day,","s6l1":"smiling plastic smiles,","s7l1":"nodding,","s8l1":"yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.","s9l1":"\"Conform,\"","s9l2":"commands the coward within.","s10l1":"\"Cut the rope,\"","s10l2":"screams the rebel.","s11l1":"\"Use the machete.","s11l2":"Burn the ship down.\"","s12l1":"Like God and the devil","s12l2":"on a seesaw,","s13l1":"up, down,","s13l2":"up, down,","s14l1":"never in balance.","s15l1":"The ship rocks,","s16l1":"left, right,","s16l2":"left, right.","s17l1":"The waves just keep coming,","s18l1":"one roller after the next.","s19l1":"\"Conform,\"","s19l2":"yells the coward.","s20l1":"\"Cut the rope.","s20l2":"Burn down the ship,\"","s20l3":"screams the rebel."}