Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Watching Space Clear From a Taxicab

I woke one day to spinning foreign fields
A parallax of three panoramic plains
And why I thought next of what Ive collected in years,
I can't tell.

Whom I've chosen as my face
Where I've paused to drop sand from my only hour glass
To bitterly throw it in the eyes of those I make my enemies,
Which pieces I've used to mold my own wings.
And laughed nervous strains
while watching them crumble under shore breaks,
Like a child's castle dulls and erupts.

Then come powerlines.
And the front plane thickens.
And one tree becomes a smeared and massive screen.
And the warm cottages become cold blocks.
And the stories become laws.
And the words of a loving parent become religion.

That first plane thins to brief wisps and a sky is born.
And I see evidence of the work of centuries we learned.
Error, sacrifice, and adaptation.
Construction of life support, strength, and unity.
Duty and survival. Loyal support and love of man.
We find and share bread. We speak universes.

But behind these lie beauty man can only mock.
Essential, slow moving, and joy to discover daily.
Mountains unconcerned with the rising tides.
And complex and reciprocal union.
A sacred dance few take time to learn.
It is then I comprehend what kingdom I make my home.

1 comment:

Chris said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this poem! There is such a stunning picture in it and it is so heavy. You could unwind it like an onion. These are my favorite lines:

"That first plane thins to brief wisps and a sky is born.
And I see evidence of the work of centuries we learned.

Duty and survival. Loyal support and love of man.
We find and share bread. We speak universes."

I wish I could write like that. But I love that you can!