be still myself
as the body
flails, jerks
and disjoints
tendon limb and muscle
in moving division
of self and intent
be still myself
and guard the heart
contemplate the tropical
sapwood, the form
of carbon, the deep breath
be still myself, swirling muds
the landscape, the colors
of everyone
disintegrate into black
the fine dark lines
get wrecked, at this speed
friends and adversaries
merge into an artless blur
be still myself, reach
into the healing well of the hurricane
eyewall inside, settle into
the seven points posture
of Variocana bathed
in Bougainvillea Glabra
ascend myself
above the cloud of debris, god once used
a pillar of cloud to lead
the people without cessation
allow myself
to be the constellation of hands and dusty feet
extended above the animated havoc
of howling fang and raised fur
be still and ascended myself
not sowing fear, but cleansing
the land of fear, teaching others
to ride the open eye, showing them
the path, how to taste thistles
along the exodus and why
This is a lovely meditation ... calming, reaching into oneself.
ReplyDeleteAmazing poem – as always. To read it is to feel like being in the midst of those powerful forces.
ReplyDeleteYet – why Tasmanian Devil? Particularly coupled with mention of tropics and bougainevillea, when Tassie is at the cooler end of temperate. (I grew up there.)
Actually, I was contemplating the inner struggle to mediate and channel the tornadic energy of the cartoon character. A copycat approach of John Ashberry's Farm Implements and Rutabagas in a Landscape poem.
DeleteAh, we in Australia are unacquainted with the cartoon character. Though I have heard tell of it before, when an American friend, on learning I had grown up in Tasmania, was astonished to discover it was a real place and the Tassie Devil an actual animal.
DeleteSubstituting "social studies" for geography left many U.S. public school graduates unaware that Delaware is a State, so no wonder...There's a compare-&-contrast post on Wikipedia about Tasmanian Devils and Virginia Opossums.
Deletewow beautifully worded and love the style. My favourite "allow myself to be the constellation of hands and dusty feet..."
ReplyDeleteI love the way you infused your poem with the essence of the Tasmanian Devil, in the shape and the jerky rhythm! The repetition of ‘be still myself’ is a mantra throughout the poem. My favourite lines:
ReplyDelete‘allow myself
to be the constellation of hands and dusty feet
extended above the animated havoc
of howling fang and raised fur’.
Beautiful calming write and the last two lines are exquisite!
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]
Interesting image/insights/meditation.
ReplyDelete