For Three Word Wednesday. Prompt words calm, rattle, know.
Also submitted to dVerse--better late than never.
Also submitted to dVerse--better late than never.
The Answer
Long
nights,
restless
turning, too many
rattling
thoughts.
I rise
from my bed
wrapped in
blackness;
the dark
house holds
no comfort.
Out
of doors,
I walk the
uncultivated
field, footsteps
muffled by
the long
damp
grass, the silent
ground calmly
keeping
all her secrets.
I keep
walking
onto the
new-plowed soil,
the
moonlight refracted by
millions
of dew-mist prisms.
Coming to
the old oak standing
in our
field God knows
how long,
I kneel
and lay my
head
against
that ancient bark.
My heart
longs
to say
something meaningful,
to find
words
that will
bear witness
to the
soul’s awareness
that it is
not alone
in this
stumbling journey.
I look
into the moonlit sky
and know
that everything
has already
been said.
This poem speaks to my soul. I know those restless nights, and the walking through damp grass, looking for answers. I have been frustrated by the ground keeping her secrets, but I have also been satisfied by looking into the moonlit sky and letting it wash its silent, healing words over me. I enjoyed this journey. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThree Foreign Tongues
MMT, thank you for enjoying the journey. Looking at the night sky is always a spiritual experience for me--humbling, awesome (in the older meaning of awe-inspiring), consoling.
DeleteMagical poem. I too take night-time wanders under the stars, or listening to the wind in the pines on stormy nights. When I was younger, and lived by the sea, I would often take long walks along a wave-drenched beach - trying to make sense of everything around me. I am glad it was an oak - my favourite tree.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leigh. Those night walks can work magic. And sometimes--this is magic indeed--we try to make sense and realize that it is enough just to be alive in this world.
Delete"Millions of dew-mist prisms." Fresh and kind of inspiring...
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure if this was the right way to put it or not--I'm glad you liked it. Thanks, Berowne.
DeleteIsn't the dew beautiful in certain light?
ReplyDeleteI love the imagery in all of this. The doubting, the faith in hoping there is someone to hear us, the ancient bark and, the certainty of knowing that without speaking a word, thoughts were heard.
Beautiful.
Thanks Bren. Yes--in a certain light, specks of dew on a dark ground looks remarkably like stars in the sky. Funny, this correspondence between heaven and earth.
Deletea beautiful piece
ReplyDeleteThanks, I appreciate that Sheilagh.
Deletenice...enjoyed the walk with you...much has been said, but i think there is much more still...though sometimes it is hard to capture that moment...this really was a lovely write man...
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian--obviously I'm struggling to put the moment into words, and to me this is how it should be. Some moments will always be beyond description.
DeleteThis is certainly my cure for all ills too; to walk with nature. A great read.
ReplyDeleteRob, I thank you. It's good to know others share my cure!
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie, that means a lot.
Deleteoh gosh nico. this poem you've penned is so deep, so visceral in honor of nature, of life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading so kindly, Paige.
DeleteI really enjoyed this poem -- even though my emotional responses are very different (though they were perhaps once the same as yours). But what you said, you said well and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSabio, the fact that we come at life from different angles yet you persistently try to understand where I'm coming from, speaks highly of how generous and kind you are. Thank you, thank you.
ReplyDeleteLike you said in a different comment -- neither of us are at all clear on how different our angles are, though our word usage and allegiance may differ.
Deletestunningly beautiful. if only my restless nights would lead to such calm, peace and answers.
ReplyDeleteThanks RMP--a rare experience for me as well.
ReplyDelete