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Conscience – A Poem About Morality, Inner Conflict & the Weight of Choice
- Leon Gregori
- Nov 9, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 30
By definition, conscience is our moral sense of right and wrong.
A space where gut feelings, instinct, empathy, and compassion combine to (hopefully) point us on the right path.
In this piece, I explore my own and its subterranean other, piecing it together in the only way I know how: through my poetry.
“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
I love this quote because it does encapsulate the internal workings of our minds. There is the part that controls our body and its functions, then there is the part that is 'us'.
The 'invisible' voice, which honestly I am not even sure sounds like my actual one. The one that questions, triggers, compliments, and critiques.
That voice is productive, obstructive, and all the in-betweens.
Two as one and one as the same... conscience and mind constantly working to balance feelings and decisions.
When I wrote this piece I wanted to expose those inner workings, the swing of the pendulum that never seems to rest. So here it goes... welcome to the inner sanctum!
Conscience
Want to write all about me?
Pick me?
Fight me?
Holding me back
A stabbing attack
Like a frenzy
No befriending
Just riled and foreboding
You make it an ending
Go ahead
Lecture me
Do your thing
Enlighten me
See what frightens me
Entices me
What stops me
Sparks me
Instant reactions
Copious satisfaction
Pitchforks swinging
Whilst fires rage
An open page
Or a closed book
Neither works
Or even should
Learn my lesson
Through making mistakes
Take in information
Owning my space
I know best
You just detest
That I don’t always believe
Or consider
Intrigued
I have ignored
Been closed
Bored
Distracted
I’ve enacted
A type of detachment
So my action
Decision
Natural submission
Is to stop
Listen
With pristine precision
Conscience tell me
For I want to be listening
Deciding
Debating
Considering
Doing our thing
Synchronizing
With conscience my King
And Queen
My power
Personified
Progress
Intensified
Mistakes
Rectified
With love
I happily oblige
I shall now believe my honesty
The voice that corrects me
The one that shows me
My values within
Though it can harm me
Drain and extract me
Fill my lungs
With an air of uncertainty
My conscience is paramount
And will guide for eternity
As it rinses me out
And pinches my heart
I have learned to respect
And even in death
Never shall we part
© Leon Gregori 2025
For me, Conscience is about the dance between instinct and reason, between critique and compassion.
It’s a conversation we all have within ourselves, whether we acknowledge it or not.
What does your conscience sound like?
Do you find it easy to listen to, or does it often conflict with your desires?
I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments below.
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Leon Gregori
I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words.
My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach.
My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life.
Closer Lives Poetry
Poetry is our passion, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it!
Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart, too.
We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!
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