»
Archives
»
Open Poetry #35
»
More Than Once There Were Stars
| Open Poetry #35 |
|
More Than Once There Were Stars |
|
|
icebox Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 4383in the shadows 
|
I was so young living other lives defining limitations to be free, wearing other costumes shared at times by all humanity. In this life when I believed in you, unexpectedly, I felt the force of life beside me, even young, even when I walked alone onto the paths of harm. Well, I got old, and I got tired of keeping shadows as my only company; I let myself believe in costumes, like the ones you wore in town, when it was time to put the money down, like the collar and leash, the counterpoint of bondage freedom, and now these stars they still feel friendly, though cold as angels who can shatter galaxies or pluck a single flower without emotion with equal calm, but they don’t really follow me around; there is no shelter or heat within their light. So I’m alone without their guidance, and all the paths of lies feel the same as truth. Yes, alone and I know surely your promises were always empty, this I always understood, but they sure did feel good, so good to believe; your loyalty spun from sugar was just like candy to a child who’d forgotten the taste of sweet. Now that I am free, free to wander, all these paths feel the same to my feet. Perhaps there is a truth somewhere in that of which I am yet to be aware; when I was young, very young, there must have been an innocence that would help me understand the counterpoint of emptiness traced in lines upon this spinning greasy ball of water pocked with floating dust, dirt lumps teeming with life. This planet is a warehouse of biochemical experiments conducted by a goddess gone mad in her frustration and rage, her laboratory the playing fields of chaos theory, and in our hubris we constantly convince ourselves we are the Mother’s greatest glory I walk the city’s streets, among strutting, shuffling ,talking empty shells, and find humanity only in the naked pleading eyes of homeless bums and crazies. The other night, a streetwalker offered to share with me acts so intimate as to bring the mind and soul to the clinging edge of sanity, to share, of course at my expense, whatever efforts I could choose to seek cosmic enlightenment or at least momentary relief, yet her eyes as easily could have been asking for a PB&J sandwich, or to have my socks to keep if I was done wearing them; I’ve seen those eyes on priests rabbis monks mullahs waitresses doctors stock brokers, other countless hordes, and always, always, on politicians. Why I said yes, between lives, to the real force of the universe, when asked, “What do you say, fool, want another go?” I will never, never ever, know. Can you tell? The paradox, of a planet truly so full of life yet so empty, of life as it could be conducted as we could be connected, is eating at me like a thousand years of acid rain. Anyone, who lives long enough, has had lovers who would swear to love them forever, of course until they didn’t; anyone, who did not grow feral has been fed pre-packaged beliefs served to them by practicing non-believers. I wish I knew why this time I broke the string, why this time I don’t care if the bells ring; I wish I could recall the innocence of being willing to believe in something, in anything. ©2005 by icebox |
||
| © Copyright 2005 icebox - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
"yet her eyes as easily could have been asking for a PB&J sandwich, or to have my socks to keep if I was done wearing them; I’ve seen those eyes on priests rabbis monks mullahs waitresses doctors stock brokers, other countless hordes, and always, always, on politicians." and then...and then? THIS: "Anyone, who lives long enough, has had lovers who would swear to love them forever, of course until they didn’t;"  You're in my head again, c. and nodding, I'm constantly confused whether I am betrayed by people (or deities), or by my own expectations... sigh. Let's just dance around the fire a bit. I'd wear bells, of course.  |
||
|
Krawdad Member Elite
since 2001-01-03
Posts 2597 |
As I feel myself dissolving in my own dispair . . . Who says we die only once? And in my hollowness is a din of cacophonous echoes. |
||
Marge Tindal 
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
IceBox~ You write from a heart that has known the joy of loving and the pain of losing that love~ 'I know surely your promises were always empty, this I always understood, but they sure did feel good' Oh ... that touches, tenderly and poignantly touches~ Here's to promises, full ... and more feel goods in your future~  *Huglets*  ~*Marge*~ ~*When the heart grieves over what it has lost, |
||
|
MARK V SHELDON Member Elite
since 2001-06-21
Posts 3015In a corporeal internship... |
This is art. Pure and simple. And incredibly deep and thought-provoking at the same time. Goosebump material in its message, questioning, and revealing. A mindful of observation, experience, and wisdom -- and I don't say these things lightly. You have truly hit me with an incredible poem I hope many others will experience and contemplate. Truly well done! -MVS You CAN make a difference, but first you should learn how: http://educate-yourself.org/intro.shtml |
||
|
Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
icebox You are so deep and complex. "the counterpoint of bondage freedom, and now these stars they still feel friendly, though cold as angels who can shatter galaxies or pluck a single flower without emotion with equal calm," I hope that you don't mind if I reply with words from a poem I wrote in July of 04. I saw this from the swirl of thought beneath the sheets where my wept and worried grief of living keeps I was all wrapped up in the color that crossed the room when the drizzle of some madness took me to see what dark of sky was for around the bend of canopy candle lit still like mosquito netting the smoke I blew and unlit the thing that was weaving motion and opened the door alive alight with focus left for just this sweet of me all open can’t you see and some how for one moment I was free ------ You are not alone out there in the night contemplating the meaning of life, my friend. |
||
|
passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
I was captured into this and the ending...yeah, me too |
||
|
Seymour Tabin Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720Tamarac Fla |
icebox An excellent write of the old question "to be or not to be" And the answer is YOU ARE. |
||
|
Honeybunch Member Rara Avis
since 2001-12-29
Posts 7115South Africa |
icebox - Whew! "Can you tell? The paradox, of a planet truly so full of life yet so empty, of life as it could be conducted as we could be connected, is eating at me like a thousand years of acid rain." I know the feeling well but we never will know the whole story - well, not yet anyway. There will come a time when the only thing to fall back on is just being happy to be alive. That, of course, is why we say "yes" to another go - we thirst for life ... or, we are life and it's what we do - keep on living. You make the reader think and I wonder, could you do that if you hadn't had the experiences that you have had. This poem is amazing in its depth! |
||
|
Dark Angel Member Patricius
since 1999-08-04
Posts 10095 |
Oh Jesus, this is bloomin awesome  mxx Oh, you speak to me in riddles |
||
|
iliana Member Patricius
since 2003-12-05
Posts 13434USA |
"This planet is a warehouse of biochemical experiments conducted by a goddess gone mad in her frustration and rage, her laboratory the playing fields of chaos theory, and in our hubris we constantly convince ourselves we are the Mother’s greatest glory" Some theorize that there is a perfection achieved even in chaos.....just a thought....sure you've probably heard that before. I can't help thinking, though, that it takes an act of love to return time after time...perhaps a love we don't fully comprehend yet but inately know. Not saying it is pretty...but sure is powerful -- the kind of love that forces germination of the seed.//How many times I've had similar thoughts....guess that's why I love animals so much....they seem so to enjoy just being what they are to its fullest. We humans seem to always be searching for what we really are. Your poem really has me pondering, obviously....sorry for the runon here. ....jo |
||
|
icebox Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 4383in the shadows |
Thank you all for reading and for your insightful and thoughtful comments. I very much appreciate you all. |
||
|
Susan Caldwell Member Rara Avis
since 2002-12-27
Posts 8348Florida |
"Anyone, who lives long enough, has had lovers who would swear to love them forever, of course until they didn’t; anyone, who did not grow feral has been fed pre-packaged beliefs served to them by practicing non-believers. I wish I knew why this time I broke the string, why this time I don’t care if the bells ring; I wish I could recall the innocence of being willing to believe in something, in anything." I wish you could tell me a bedtime story every night. I imagine the truth of your stories would be relief from my waking hours. you rock me with your words."too bad ignorance isn't painful" |
||
|
catalinamoon
since 2000-06-03
Posts 9543The Shores of Alone |
Well, repeating everyone else...This is quite something. Covers all the bases, literally. Glad to have found this. Sandra |
||
|
Paul Wilson
since 2002-07-07
Posts 4711United States |
icebox... So many different parts of this captured my mind, I couldn't begin too pick out a favorite part. Most all people in this world are so set on just one thing, getting what they can to satisfy their own needs the innocent children and adults are molded like putty in their hands. Oh by the way I liked the poem very very much...Paul ~~To share my poems with you is to share my heart with you~~ |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
