~
He, with speed, once descended
beyond reach of the voices echoing his name
~
He fell into a charnel river, its current carrying
him out to sea where, becalmed or turbulent,
He could find no sleep, no relief.
~
Assuming the contours of nebulous complexity
In despair he sank deeper into this watery world
which loosened the skin that bound him to lost memory
~
Sleek and facile now, he glided with a grace that was genuine
belying the anchor that weighted his heart
Until drawn by a patient star he swam in the shallows
where one day he was tempted ashore.
Too long untouched by sleep he emerged on dry land
with a prayer on his lips anointing the sand with his tears and sorrow.
~
Blessed by engagement with sadness he listened
his heart beat in cadence
with an emergent compassion
his prayer now in sync with the blighted terrain
he began to feel this sorrow was shared
Of a single heart ever beating
~
With a mind accustomed to formulating events and endings
Closer and closer he circled towards this endless wellspring
his newly trusting heart cycling up and down the mountain of tension
creating momentum and joining these opposites
~
Holding his own
between speed and a still point of being
~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Art: Alice Wellinger
There’s so much ground covered here. Read over and over it leaves me with a question I can’t formulate… perhaps as it should.
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No wait. It’s not a question but questions… and then something that goes deeper to bind them all into one.
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I love how you “wrestle” these poems of mine, Chris. I think you are seeing clearly into this one…in that the momentum of questioning is more important than having the solace of immediate answers. Plateaus are welcome though….huh?
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Reaches a core of universal experience, Jana. True poetry.
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That’s high praise Bonnie. I bow to the muse…. smiles
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Almost the beginning of something epic…interesting you choosing the other sex’s skin to travel in…images I devour in delightful hunger…nights of mysterious sweating, even with open windows…
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Your comment stuns me a bit John…. your recognition of this poem being about traveling through time in another person’s “skin”. Very intuitive and epic beginnings for sure…. thank you my imaginative poet friend.
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total eclipse
thought experiments
~
weightless acceleration
surrendering to gravity
we’re bending light
holding hands
while free falling
~
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Oh my…we are indeed Geo. We are indeed… thank you my dear. I love the homework you bring me.
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A real blessing
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a mind accustomed to formulating events and endings…
wonderful Jana ~ smiles hedy ๐
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Why thank you Hedy…most appreciated!
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๐ have a wonderful writing day ๐
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