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What's Past Is Prologue

 

November draws her blackened leaves 
back into the earth.
Hasn't it always been the end of the world?
Echoes, hammered into the head
from cut-down Edens, in faint pulses
die.
Survivors are none; disaster complete.
Veiled sunlight stalks the dark battlefield
and soon exhausted, turns away.
It leaves unnoticed a bud unlikely
as one green marble in all this space.
It turns out the end of the world
much discussed and predicted
is not so easy to achieve.
The best maniacal efforts fail again and again.
Every dawn chorus sings out renaissance
and enlightenment. However
perilous it may be, here's the road.

 

◄ LeapFrog

Think ►

Comments

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jennifer Malden

Mon 12th Dec 2022 18:21

Definitely frightening and grim, but also very beautiful. Like Uilleam, loved the first two lines, which express the end of autumn, beginning of winter so well.

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Hélène

Mon 12th Dec 2022 16:24

Beautiful, deeply moving poem. Thanks Adam.

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keith jeffries

Sun 11th Dec 2022 19:45

A very interesting poem that draws the reader's attention to the fact that there is never a complete end or total destruction. The poem reminds me of the Biblical concept of there being a remnant, the survivors who despite being defeated are still present and able to procreate.
I enjoyed this.
Thank you Adam,
Keith

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Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Sun 11th Dec 2022 16:08

I like:
"November draws her blackened leaves 
back into the earth."

Out on a walk in woodland a few days ago, I could smell the leaves and the earth on the pathway becoming one great compost heap, ready for mother nature's great leap into Spring.

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