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On a Limb

What use is there of poetry? In my experience, poets have the luxury to make a point of something without the meaning of the words themselves. Poetic form, syllable use, the sounds of the words as you say them (including rhyme and meter) all contribute to the meaning of the poem in a way no other literary style can match; and in such a manner that they draw more heavily on the emotional (or maybe artistic) part of human nature.

Poetry is the compact car of literature. Its use of language is economical by necessity. Even compact cars can be admired, however.

With this said, I wrote this poem a few years ago. The structure of the poem is based on Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," which I admire for its coherence, its use of mostly single-syllable words, and the fact that the soft sounds of the poem are symbolic of its mood.

As far as the content of this poem, it makes dual use of nature. On the one hand, nature is a metaphor for humanity. On the other, it is used to express God's majesty. There is in me, then, a sense of worship and apology for God (in the sense that nature is evidence of him). I recognize that the "hand that reached for those afar" is close in meaning to Michelangelo's Sistene Chapel painting of God reaching for man. I did not realize that at the time I wrote it, but I must have been influenced by that work. In any case, here it is.


In the beauteous warmness of the beach
I cannot lift myself to reach
The vast and boundless skies afar
That seek a life to tend and teach.

A hand that reached for those afar
To light the little lifeless star
That makes its way toward stellar heat
And points the daggers ’long its bar.

The sound of waves presents its treat
The taste of salt so bittersweet
A thunderous crash of massive wave
Demands attention for its feat.

The rest of nature will behave
And honor praise and rant and rave
Its treatise given as it gave
To grace itself as once so brave.

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 29, 2011 at 12:17 AM

    I love this 3rd section the most! I totally love the waves and this is a wonderful expression of my own appreciation! yay for this poem... I want to go right now! That sound, that "thunderous crash of massive wave" is something so precious to me! In the time it takes for that glorious wave to crash... I hear God, I feel God! I am dumbstruck and fearfully speechless :) I am smiling and shaking. That is one of my most precious things I have found on this earth. Go you for writing something that I, or someone else, can relate to. This particular bloggidy-blog has blessed me, so thanks :)

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