Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Poetry In Motion

Okay, dearest reader - we are on a "facing our fears" roll.
 
Next we tackle the world of poetry.  I, a writer, despise poetry.  I find it dull.  Tedious.  Unnecessary.  And I, a writer, can't do it.  So I mask my fear of failure with a lifting of the nose and a rolling of the eyes.  But truth be told - and our blog is all about truth, is it not - I'm just afraid of sucking at it.  But fears be dashed, we are going to make this happen.
 
I figured the best poetry is based in strong emotion.  So I put myself back on the worst day of my life, which took place a few years ago.  I sat alone in my room and tried to remember every facet of that day.  Sounds, smells.  The temperature of the air.  Where I was sitting, and who I was sitting with.  The way the blood felt in my veins as I willed my heart to keep beating; not sure if I would survive, not sure if I even wanted to.  And then I wrote.
 
Here's what I came up with.  I took an informal Facebook poll - to explain its meaning, or not to explain? - and the consensus was, post it, and if people want to know what it means, they will ask.
 
Yeah, it's pretty lousy.  Yeah, it's completely allegorical.  I wrote it out, I went to bed, I figured my project was done.  Then I got up this morning, looked in the mirror, and burst into tears.
 
Now I know why so many famous poets either become addicted to opiates, off themselves, or both.  The raw emotion, even in a lousy poem, is overwhelming.

Eight Leaves

In my orchard, I stand at a tree

Young, vibrant-I wonder, when did it grow so?

Budding, stretching, cleaving;

As eight leaves slipped away from its branches

A flutter at my feet.

I bent to pick them up and noticed

That they were dried, yet velvet

Shriveled, yet supple,

Preserved, yet consumed.

I placed my flat palm against the trunk

Strong, firm

Vulnerable, childlike

Brash and arrogant, fragile and broken.

In my hand

Eight leaves in September;

I put them in my pocket as I turned

From the tree of my own planting

And the day was colder for it.

 There you have it.   Fear, conquered.

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