The siege of this era has somewhat begun;
as rain of fire hits,
with a wantonness unparelled,
similar to what was a sudden rise
in unemployment
during the post-war period—it’s difficult
to fathom that hope blossomed
only a few decades earlier.
And so, a minute later, my eyelids open.
A disembodied voice at the end of the line
haunts; hoarse and cold,
causing golden gate orange sun
to shudder and sink below,
I suppose I should have seen it coming,
at times dew, at times ice,
I have been trying to poetize it ever since.
I saunter as water falls under the grey
concrete bridge,
these bouts of nausea don’t live long,
though they have grown a limb
or two over the years,
supercilious
in its attempt to crush the poetic spirit,
to throw dirt in the face of perseverance
and return to the gallows,
why is it that we allow conviction to be executed
without a second thought?
And if not, then what’s the mystery behind
the disembodied voice?
what is the purpose of the siege?
Why do the images keep recurring, is it a theme?
Are they by any chance interlinked?
If only we could see past the glamor and lace,
sift through prophecies
hidden beneath the concrete and grass
then humanity wouldn’t convulse so much,
I thought, putting down
a half-eaten casserole on the kitchen counter,
I am a Poet,
I am both actuality and dream meshed in one,
it’s time we break free from bounds
of language and create a norm
that will surpass others in excellency and effect.
And now a poem materializes out of nothing,
its words longing to stretch out
into the wild,
could it be, that this was my mission all along?
I light a candle in reply.
I hear the cries of enthusiastic waves
crashing upon the shore,
perhaps this is a vision for future generations,
an omen, a calling
to move forth
with mettle amidst lawlessness and bedlam,
as Frost, Whitman and Hughes once did—
I would settle for nothing less.
Photo credits: Bridge photography by Jeffery Perry, Unsplash
Ingrid hosts at dVerse and invites us to write a poem inspired by a vision
or a dream or both. Come join us! ❤️
Posted for Poetics: Visionary Poetry @dVerse Poets Pub
I feel your pain at these troubled times, Sanaa, but for sure, nothing can crush the poetic spirit! I adore your image of a ‘golden gate orange sun’! 🧡
Thank you so much, Ingrid 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
(and thank you for the glorious prompt) 🌹
I love how you turned away from the dark images of what we see today to the hope that I think only a poet can see… maybe even seeing beauty in mayhem..
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
You have summed up the times in which we live in your epic poem, Sanaa, and today rain and water has indeed fallen under the bridge near to where I live. The visions of what may come does indeed cause bouts of nausea in an ‘attempt to crush the poetic spirit, / to throw dirt in the face of perseverance’. The disembodied voice that echoes throughout is unsettling, but hooray for the poem materializing out of nothing!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😍 so glad you liked it! 💄❤️
Well, you are the Poet, no doubt. Hammered and teased and taunted by the voice that will resonate in everything you write henceforth. There’s a country music song in the USA titled, “Mammas Don’t Let Your Children Grow Up to be Cowboys,” and the bourbon blues applies to Poets, too. Especially! But what a ride. Light and candle in reply, and enjoy the hovering glow of it.
Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
“I am a Poet, I am both actuality and dream meshed in one” – I think we have a manifesto there. An excellent poem!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Kim Whysall 😍 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
The perfect visionary poem, Sanaa. I love the story entwined with your words and the mystery that overshadows it all.
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
You really emphasize on the role of poetry in understanding and interpreting the current state of the world which is great! I especially liked “saunter[ing] as water falls under the grey concrete bridge” this imagery evokes a sense of serenity and peacefulness amidst the chaos and destruction.
Thank you so much, Mrityunjay 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
“I light a candle in reply” — Indeed Sanaa, your poetry burns bright.
Thank you so much, Dora 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
wow, you can write. Thanks for sharing.
❤️❤️❤️
This is so engaging, quite captivating Sanaa — loved it my friend!
I especially love this closing passage:
“perhaps this is a vision for future generations,
an omen, a calling
to move forth
with mettle amidst lawlessness and bedlam,
as Frost, Whitman and Hughes once did—b
I would settle for nothing less.”
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Rob 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
And now a poem materializes out of nothing–that is the continual and wondrous magic of it.
Thank you so much, Kerfe 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Sanaa, your poetic spirit rises to the occasion undaunted! I appreciate your question in the middle of it all: why is it that we allow conviction to be executed
without a second thought?
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Lynn 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Yay to the poetic spirit, Sanaa. I enjoyed these questioning lines,
“why is it that we allow conviction to be executed
without a second thought?”
Thank you so much, Kitty 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
These kind of dreams stick with you for life. It is great that you were able to gain purpose from it, and reaffirm that you’re a poet. You write beautiful poetry.
Thank you so much, Tanmay 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
” move forth / with mettle ”
Great line, Sanaa. The poetic spirit cannot be crushed, and even thrives in time of adversity. That is its power.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Such a bleak vision, and then you rise with:
“perhaps this is a vision for future generations,
an omen, a calling
to move forth
with mettle amidst lawlessness and bedlam,
as Frost, Whitman and Hughes once did—
I would settle for nothing less.”
I hope it is so, dear Sanaa! 💙
Thank you so much, Merril 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️