I appreciate this scribble may appear as madness. I agree that it does speak of madness.
I have attached a video and audio track which may go some way to explain what the poem is referencing, it may be of interest to some...it may not.
https://wolfgarwords.com/2024/06/12/red-heifers/
David
Comment is about Red Heifers (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
I particularly love the phrase "the breath of time".
Comment is about Wisdom’s Age (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
Fantastic Esme, the last two verses ended things perfectly.
Comment is about A World To Trust (blog)
Original item by Jane Ivy
Nice one, Tim. I like the half-rhymes; and 'roots buried deep as time' serves as a standout line.
Comment is about Wisdom’s Age (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
Thanks very much, Tim. This poem more-or-less just 'fell out of me' about 6 weeks ago. Funny how, sometimes, you have to contort yourself to get anything to come, and other times it's like being stood under a shower and you feel drenched. I've just reread this and wish it flowed more mellifluously; i may return to it soon and see if i can light a fire under it. Mind you, i say that about everything i write so i may not. Someday i'll write a poem i'm happy with.
Comment is about nothing i'll tell you is real (blog)
Original item by Martin Peacock
"The wind carries the ancient spirit
Of those once alive, now deceased
Restless to show but never admit
It is why I seek the whispering breeze
To enlighten the soul of one like me
Grasping the sage by his hand I squeeze"
Nicely done, Tim. I really liked this one!
Comment is about Wisdom’s Age (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
"Yet, somewhere on this earth,
The sun is beginning to shine,
To remind us of that small hope,
That everything will be fine."
Loved it!
Comment is about A World To Trust (blog)
Original item by Jane Ivy
Thank you David and Héléne for the lovely comments, I'm glad you enjoyed this little moment of mindful bliss. And David, absolutely agreed there; a hypnotic train journey is a great place for many things; getting some work or writing done or emptying your mind and looking past the news and its endless barrage of social problems which plague this country and see through to the beauty. I also love a music recommendation and this one was no exception, a great song and I've added it to my current playlist. Thank you!
Thank you also to Tom, Trevor, Stephen, Stephen, Aisha, Holden and Tim for reading this one and the 'likes'. 😃
Comment is about On The Train This Morning (blog)
Original item by Tom
And then you will know how it feels
when life is nought but obstruction.
When all's lost, reality reels,
and you're tested to destruction.
I particularly liked this summation of your excellent poem
Comment is about nothing i'll tell you is real (blog)
Original item by Martin Peacock
Thank you, Stephen and Martin for your comments. Always much appreciated. Yes, Martin, I had The Great and Powerful Oz in mind when thinking of the illusions of today.
Comment is about Cultivated Curiosity (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
Thank you and I would agree. I have found since Covid that social circles have decreased to the point of extinction with most people rather more content to stay home. We seemed to have been brought together by the reality and extremity of isolation and now struggling to adjust to the new normal.
Thank you for your comment
Comment is about Stay home (blog)
Original item by Wordseffectbrew
Thank you Tim for your feedback & kind comments. 🙂
Thanks for likes - Stephen W, Aisha, Larisa, Hélène, Holden & Manish 👍
Comment is about Drowning In My Tears (blog)
Original item by Tom Doolan
Thank you Tim Higbee for commenting.
With best wishes, Larisa
Comment is about Haiku (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Well done, Tim. It's not easy to write in rhyming couplets but you have pulled it off. Curiosity is so important, looking behind the curtain as you say.
Comment is about Cultivated Curiosity (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
Thanks for the comments, David and MC.
Comment is about Strongmen (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thank you so much for liking my haiku!
With best wishes,
Larisa
Comment is about Tim Higbee (poet profile)
Original item by Tim Higbee
Truly wonderful poem, Tom. Enjoyed reading your comment, David. The poem felt soothing, like the rhythm of a train ride. Stellar imagery.
Comment is about On The Train This Morning (blog)
Original item by Tom
Mon 10th Jun 2024 23:56
Indeed, Martin!
Thank you for the comment, I'm very grateful! 😊
Comment is about Prophetess. (blog)
Original item by Holden Moncrieff
"Behind the curtain of life’s illusions there stands a man
Pulling levers and throwing switches," makes me think of the wonderful wizard of Oz. And the Dominic Cummings of this world. These are the one to worry about, not the Galloways, Sunaks and Farages. Well said.
Comment is about Cultivated Curiosity (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
Anyone who speaks truth to power is a Cassandra nowadays. May we live in interesting times.
Comment is about Prophetess. (blog)
Original item by Holden Moncrieff
Mon 10th Jun 2024 22:15
Thank you so much, Tim, for your very thoughtful comment, it is greatly appreciated! 😊
Comment is about The Game (blog)
Original item by Holden Moncrieff
Thank you Red, Trevor, Tom, Stephen G, Holden, Manish, Hélène, Stephen A and Aisha. Also, thanks to you David for commenting. My friend, Chris, was a good man, brave too. Qualities rare enough in any age and certainly uncommon in this squalid hive of spivs. "There is but one thing of real value – to cultivate truth and justice, and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men." Marcus Aurelius.
Comment is about Ice creams on a Sunday (blog)
Original item by John E Marks
Thanks all for your liking the poem Tom, Hugh, Stephen G, Stephen A, Aisha ,Holden and Tim.
Keith it's nice to be on that wavelength, moments of comfort in a changing world!
Oh yes, Mark. I remember your mention of the Raleigh in a cycling poem I posted here - that whirr you talk of was a particular sound from the early years that seems to have been silenced by the later versions. Possibly the sprockets and chains (always Renolds) and cyclo I think . Two wheels was the ultimate thrill we know that much!
Ray
Comment is about THE OPEN ROAD (blog)
Original item by ray pool
Stephen, David and M.C., thank you all so much for your words of encouragement. It has been a looong, slow slog, these past 2yrs, waiting to be seen. At 66yo, time seems to drag even slower, and i've been asked more than once why i need to know, at this late stage in my life, what the problem with me is. David, you're spot-on when you write of a kind of "relief and awakening [...that...] gives you something to work with and make attempts to fix or exist with in a more harmonious way." It's taking up a lot of processing power, even moreso now my assessment is nearly here (1st interview next Monday, follow-up on 1st July) so forgive me if i don't participate on the site very much right now; i'm distracting myself the only way i know - by writing new poems, and committing a huge backlog of older, handwritten ones (going back 2yrs) to the Notes app on this phone (my PC & printer died and i've been unable to type/print anything in that time.) Once i have some resolution i can turn once again to reading all your great poems. In the meantime, please accept my apologies for being so pre-occupied.
Comment is about NOT KNOWING (blog)
Original item by Martin Peacock
The term "Strongman" certainly seems more often used for the
type that emerges in countries that have no record of "free and
fair" elections, so that point is taken. In a wider sense, I recall
the following lines that contain their own truth.
"Strong men create easy times.
Easy times create weak men.
Weak men create hard times.
Hard times create strong men...!!
Comment is about Strongmen (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
The mind is a source of power that can confuse and intimidate.
It can adapt and adjust from within and the first step towards
improvement in any experience of concern is recognition and
acceptance. That can open the door to progress. Think of the
mind as a set of compartments., each with a link to the rest,
awaiting a switch-on to obtain light. The old phrase "positive
thinking" has its place once acceptance has been obtained.
And medical science itself has never failed to impress with its
rate of progress and understanding. Producing poems of this
distinction indicates you are on the right path. 👍
Comment is about NOT KNOWING (blog)
Original item by Martin Peacock
Manish and Keith, I thank you so much for your kind comments. It is humbling indeed to receive such opinions.
Thank you!
Thanks also to those of you who liked the poem. It is equally appreciated.
Comment is about A Life Renewed (blog)
Original item by Tim Higbee
The last stanza is a glorious culmination of the poem. The bartender who listens to what you want but understands what you need.
Great job my friend!
Comment is about A Considerate Bartender (blog)
Original item by Manish
Follow not where the ass shall lead. It has a shitty perspective.
Loved the haiku! So many connotations could be applied.
Thanks for the humor.😋
Comment is about Haiku (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Inflated passion in homage to those in power is indeed a rigged game. It is a commanded request that enlists no empathy.
Is the game not always rigged?
Point well represented Holden.
Comment is about The Game (blog)
Original item by Holden Moncrieff
Tom, this piece is so precise and acutely sorrowful. It is powerful in an analytical sense of self-perception and preservation.
Excellent piece, thank you for sharing.
Comment is about Drowning In My Tears (blog)
Original item by Tom Doolan
That's great Larisa,
As I said it could be, not that it was. I suppose it was a poor anglo-saxon attempt at humour.
Not at all my fantasy, rather a possible application of your words.
Maybe this is a good example of things being lost in translation, nevermind.
At least it was a comment eh.
Thanks for your response.
Comment is about Haiku (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Thank you everyone for your "likes" and comments, they are so appreciated. You are my poetry tribe! David, on the subject of recycled bodies and (theorized) resurrection of the soul, yesterday my husband and I had a long discussion as to whether, upon death, individual consciousness merges with some kind of universal consciousness, or whether it can retain some kind of individuation. He leans towards the "lights out" theory & I lean towards the "individual-soul-consciousness-goes-on" theory. So, for now, we leave it to the mystery. When he & I die, if my theory prevails, I get to say "I told you so," and if his theory prevails....well, we will enjoy the darkness! (Lol)
Comment is about Tiny Blade of Grass (blog)
Original item by Hélène
Dear, Sunshine! Thank you for your nice comment, and thank you for understanding humor. Best wishes, Larisa
Comment is about Haiku (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
I am sorry to say, David, but my haiku has nothing to do with Russian proverb. It's your fantasy. More than that, it has nothing to do with Russian leadership. When I was writing this haiku I thought about the form.
Comment is about Haiku (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
So often, too often the so called strong men are the weak men.
That corrupted perception indicates the warped interpretations and perceptions of our societies.
David
Comment is about Strongmen (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Hi John,
Those ugly reminders of the past are indeed deeply ugly and the fact they remain when beauty passes is almost agonising.
Do we need that ugly reminder of the past as a measure...I would say yes if we pay heed to it. It seems less and less we pay heed to it, we destroy it and remove it from our eyes instead of highlighting its ugliness and educating fresh eyes as to how it diminishes mankind.
I was in Potsdam last year and visited "New Palace" there were statues there of slaves who had helped to build the place...great ugliness amongst something of beauty. Will this always be the way, is it how things need to be whilst we are so savage.
I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.
David
Comment is about Ice creams on a Sunday (blog)
Original item by John E Marks
Hi Sia,
Writing like you have created here narrows the field for written responses. The experiences you describe are so personal and distressing that to respond often exposes the respondee to assumptions. It is a tightrope walk in attempting to respond in a way that isn't presumptive or somehow patronising.
If these are indeed the descriptions of personal experiences I hope you find a way through.
I thought of that Churchillian quote, "When you're going through hell, keep going" it doesn't fit quite right as the advise would be to stop and find another path. Alternatively the path away from damaging behaviour can be the hellish one...it is in that instance I would advice you to keep going.
I commend you on sharing this work.
David
Comment is about My ills (blog)
Original item by Sia T
Hi Martin,
I cannot speak of the turmoil in your mind but through your words can imagine it well. I too have an affliction which went for many years undiagnosed, that state of feeling there is something amiss yet not having a name/diagnosis for it is extremely confusing, frustrating and dibilitating.
Strangely a diagnosis brings a kind of relief and awakening (It did for me) it gives you something to work with and make attempts to fix or exist with in a more harmonious way.
Your writings of how you feel can only be a good thing. Hopefully when things become clearer for you you will be able to reflect upon your writing from a distance and come to a greater understanding of what you have endured through these years.
I wish you all the best and commend you for sharing your experiences here.
David
Comment is about NOT KNOWING (blog)
Original item by Martin Peacock
Hi Syc,
The use of a coded title is a great idea which leans into the subsequent verse like a gentle ramp.
The verses envelope the reader as if they are the encroaching darkness described in the text, a very effective use of words revealing the process depicted.
The final verse seems to describe the rejuvenating quality of sleep. I momentarily thought it might be describing some kind of illness in the subject...on second reading clarity came.
Subtle and clever writing with a good measure of beauty.
David
Comment is about #000000 (blog)
Original item by syc_
Helene,
"To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour"
That blade of grass even if pissed upon by a passing dog will return to the earth. In that there may be new life but never resurrection, that is for the sacred books of myth alone. Well, only in my opinion of course.
We are all recyclable.
David
Comment is about Tiny Blade of Grass (blog)
Original item by Hélène
Hi Robert,
I have so many first lines to poems that came out of a drunken thought. These three snippets remind me of such scribbles made on notepads only to be disgarded when sobriety kicks in.
So this gave me a wry smile. Of course I don't know your intention but that is what you poked in my tiny little mind.
David
Comment is about 3 Drunken Poems (blog)
Original item by Robert C Gaulke
This could be an old Russian proverb although if it is it seems the current Russian leadership missed the memo.
David
Comment is about Haiku (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
It may not be the case but to me this piece of writing reflects how easy it is to disable ourselves into isolation.
The so called advancement in communication seems to have triggered our ability to disconnect from real face to face human interactions...One day the focus might have to swing back to learning about human interaction to fix the damage done by such isolation.
As with most things it is balance that is required. But when we are bombarded (if we so wish to be) with reminders of how repellent much of human behaviour is these days why might we wish to venture beyond our front doors.
A good questioning and provocative piece of writing.
David
Comment is about Stay home (blog)
Original item by Wordseffectbrew
I agree with your choice of calm.
It is not easy to disengage from our inner noise let alone the external noise of the world. Train journeys are pretty good for escaping, although becoming less so it seems.
I find more and more it is only the landscape beyond the bustle of human life that brings peace, even then there are constant notes of our interference with it...not exclusively objectionable I would add.
It is a good idea to unplug ourselves from the constant drip of news and marketing that we are often subliminally subjected to.
There is a beautiful song by Elbow & John Grant called "Kindling" which I will post below. It concerns a journey of a man returning to a lover by train and although not particularly about inner quiet there is a verse which refers to the journey which contains the line "and the Wheat Fields explode into gold either side of the train" if ever there was a line I wish I had written it would be that one.
Train journeys can be hypnotic and we can attain a trance like state. I think your poem reflects that, the song line I refer to reminded me of that feeling of the elevation of spirit.
A lovely gentle poem of contemplation and suggestion.
David
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1XT7Iw4b3Y
Comment is about On The Train This Morning (blog)
Original item by Tom
This is not about me, I'm not a sufferer but I did read an heartwarming article from a sufferer and felt that this condition needed to be publicised more for others to understand. Needless to say my only medium is Narrative verse. Glad you liked it and hopefully others may appreciate suffered difficulties
Comment is about Coprolalia (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Thank you very much, Keith, and to all who liked this. It means a lot to me.😊
Comment is about A Considerate Bartender (blog)
Original item by Manish
keith jeffries
Wed 12th Jun 2024 12:10
A brief lament. As aspect of life to be reflected on seeking out the good and contemplating on the other.
A profound statement in poetic form. This will stay with me.
Thank you,
Keith
Comment is about Against Loneliness (blog)
Original item by branwell kent