I watch as they remain unflinching,
petals of the sun
while the wicked wind whips the snow,
and darkness slowly descends.
How do we restore balance in the world?
How do we dispel negative gravity?
I wake without reason to logical fallacies,
sly in apparition—
speak not of the sky,
drowning choke of smoke and fire
for fear that mercy is evidently misplaced,
I slip on the straps and release a sigh.
Come ink words in the blind,
watch as grey headed canaries break free
from cages—
my love is unselfish but I require you
to breathe,
coffee lips in the throes of death
and change,
perhaps we are reading the shadows wrong;
forever cannot draw a circle.
Photo credits: ‘Petals of the Sun,’ by Manabu Oda, Pinterest
Skylover Wordlist: apparition, gravity, canary, circle ❤
Posted for the Writers’ Pantry @ Poets and Storytellers United
43 Responses
Lovely close, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Rajani 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
I don’t think I’ve ever read a more beautiful expression of despair — yet it is hopeful too in spite of all, and a wonderful embodiment of Magaly’s suggestions. It does all come down to your question, I think: ‘How do we restore balance in the world?’
Awwww gosh!💄❤ Thank you so much, Rosemary 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you!💄❤
Wonderful imagery
Thank you so much, Jae 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
You are branching out both in style and form. I like it.
Thank you so much, Toni 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
perhaps we are reading the shadows wrong;
forever cannot draw a circle.
one expect to take wrong turns some of the time!
Hank
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Hank 💄❤
“How do we restore balance”, indeed. It’s seems so much is become un-whole these days. Maybe we can heal some of the breaking through ink (that inspires action), through words that remind us that even in disaster we can find some beauty, through writings like this one.
Thank you so much, Magaly 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Unflinching jumps out at me. Maybe we can draw a forever spiral.
Thank you so much, Colleen 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
“forever cannot draw a circle.”
A point of absorbtion, my ponder for today. A blessed Sunday to you Sanaa
Much❤love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
A blessed Sunday to you too
Much❤love…
I like the image in the opening lines of the petals of the sun unflinching ‘while the wicked wind whips the snow’, and how you used alliteration to recreate the sound of the wind, Sanaa. I also like the visual oxymoron in:
‘Come ink words in the blind,
watch as grey headed canaries break free
from cages’.
Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
When I think of petals of the sun I can also see the moon as being a mere mirror of the sun.
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Sunflowers are tough, they withstand the hot sun and the cold snowy winds. I find only one real word of hope here, just a smidgen, in the word, HOPE itself.
..
Thank you so much, Jim 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
Great write…and that last line is inspired!
Thank you so much, Beverly 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
There is so much going on here, Sanaa. Very good but this:
“fear that mercy is evidently misplaced”
reminds me that there is a judgement day coming because as you allude to, the world must balance.
Thank you so much, Joel 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Beautiful poem and these last lines
“perhaps we are reading the shadows wrong;
forever cannot draw a circle.” Amazing
Thank you so much, Marja 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
Life does have its ups and downs so we should always be thankful for the good times and remember them in the bad. Lives do have a full circle so we should never put off what we could do now!
Thank you so much, Robin 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
Beautiful writing …. and once again, you close on a line that emanates an echo. You do that so wonderfully well, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Wendy 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
I am so intrigued by the thought of misplaced mercy and the statement that “forever cannot draw a circle” and the fact that our mortal senses will never be able to absorb the reality of it all anyway. Wonderful writing and concepts.
Thank you so much, H.Hennenburg 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
How do we know what is balance these days? I love this poem. It makes me search my own spirit and ask how and where is my balance. “perhaps we are reading the shadows wrong; forever cannot draw a circle.” Love that line
Thank you so much, Susie 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
“forever cannot draw a circle.” profound!
Thank you so much, ZQ 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
Negative gravity is so hard to dispel hence, the sadness the world is feeling in 2020. Let’s hope the world keeps breathing.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Bekkie 💄❤
The line about a gray-headed canary is striking to me. this poem is fascinating!
Thank you so much, Jenna 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
[…] for the dverse prompt of 9/7/21, derivatives, using Sanaa Rivi’s line “Perhaps we are reading the shadows wrong; forever cannot draw a circle.” from Winter Moon ~ Part Three: Petals of the Sun“ […]