Sunday, June 14, 2009

Are You Listening?

It's a peace that comes over me

A wave of quiet

Crashing around me

Sucking out the noise

Everyday noise

Long times longing

Belonging within

A circle spun out

Long before me

It's where I come from

Aging relative brings contact

Reaffirms what 

I already knew

Solace in knowledge

Questing, caring, asking

Am I taking care?

Am I paying attention?

The waves crash around me

173 years of peace and wisdom

Am I fine? Not the stock answer,

Really asking, listening

Offering sage wisdom

Not forced, just set on the table

For the taking or leaving

My father's brother sharing

Concerns I've had,

Patience, waiting for the crisis

Yet to come, a stroke or perhaps

Wandering off the edge

Existence ever fragile,

A keen eye on the maybe

A tear on the likely

Watching all your friends

And family die, isn't lonely

It's life, better for the acceptance

Worse for the resigning to it.

Chances are there for the taking

Not by him or her, but each

Of their own, for their own

Fruit we pick is the feast

We have bounty or rot

As by our own hand and not

Calling as it is the scenes

On the stage that is our life

Curtain calls by our performance or

Curtains, sewn by our own hand

Connections to the possible

Dreams of what could be

Woven from the same cloth as

You owe me and I never

How fickle the current

How strong the paddle

How mysterious the strokes never taken

5 comments:

  1. Awesome outlook. It couldn't have come at a better moment. Good luck with your current and the paddling. Thanks

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  2. beautiful

    it's all bigger, more interconnected and deliberate than we realize

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  3. WD, I wanted to tell you that I first read this last night when I was struggling with some things. It touched me deeply. I've re-read it several times today. I want to comment intelligently, so will wait until tomorrow to do that. I expect to be fully myself tomorrow. But for today I just want to say "thank you for this". You struck all kinds of chords with me.

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  4. TRegina3:50 PM

    I am knocked out by the number of poets,essayists and overall lyrical-quality writers that happen to be blogging-bicycle-enthusiasts. Are literary, philosophical types drawn to biking or does a lot of time on a bike foster poetic talent and philosophical perspective?

    This poem of yours is so full!

    Terry the desert rat

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  5. HWB - Glad to have hit the moment. Life is a fascinating experience if we only stop to consider it every once and again.

    TOB - Quite so.

    Limes - You are welcome. There are times I watch the verse pour out across the page, often as I process a recent experience and I feel more like an editor than a writer.

    TR - Cycling is an interesting mix of contemplation and extreme drive. The answer to your question is Yes but the order isn't relevant.

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