Lighter than air
by Ray Veen
Very soon I will let go, and sail away
Very soon I will let go, and sail away
like a wooden ship on ocean swells.
My hands are small flesh, the bark is rough.
My hands are small flesh, the bark is rough.
It stitches my fingers to the limb.
A slow breeze tussles my hair, flutters my
eyelashes, the cool soaks my skin.
It makes my shoelaces quiver
It makes my shoelaces quiver
in the empty space, and we all sway.
Above me, below me, on every side,
Above me, below me, on every side,
the leaves are rustling and I listen.
Everything sways and I hang and feel and listen.
To the low rush, the whisper that swells,
To the low rush, the whisper that swells,
like the slow-motion crash of the surf.
Somewhere, down beyond my feet,
there are green ferns vibrant.
Beneath that, white sticks dry and brown leaves dead.
Far below, but it doesn’t matter.
Beneath that, white sticks dry and brown leaves dead.
Far below, but it doesn’t matter.
When I let go I will come nowhere near them.
I will throw myself towards the moon –
I will swim through soupy skies.
Very soon now.
Gravity will no longer be my master.
12 comments:
Great poem. Very impressive! Happy Friday! :)
You can now change your blog name from Big Plain V to Big Poet V.
Great poem, V!
I dig it!
The poem and the picture create a sensation...reminds me of when we used to climb the huge pines on our property. Very evocative not so plain big V.
*sigh* ok, for some reason my first comment didn't post, so I'll just say great poem and leave it at that.
I am smack dab in the middle of my free verse poetry unit with my sixth graders. I love poetry. Well done fine sir.
Nice piece Ray. My favorite lines:
My hands are small flesh, the bark is rough.
It stitches my fingers to the limb.
also:
I will throw myself towards the moon –
I will swim through soupy skies.
Keri -- A very merry Friday to you as well, Ms. Mikulski.
Kelly -- Big Poet V? Mmmm... not sure it has that same snazzy ring. I'll give it a try, though.
Serena -- I dig your poem, too. Say... maybe we outghtter link to each other.
Vee -- Cool. One of my primary goals was to share the tactile sensation of hanging from a tree.
Tracey -- Why do I sense that there was a whole bunch more that I'm not gonna get to hear?
KM -- I love sixth graders. I'll bet teaching them creative writing is a freaking ball.
Mary -- Ooo, specifics. Thanks a very lot.
Hey, you write actual poetry too! Thanks for sharing.
Perhaps next Friday you can write a poem about purple voodoo chocolate cream ninjas? It could be very evocative.
-Mercedes
I knew you wrote, but I didn't know you were a poet too! How fun!
Irene -- Thanks for hosting. I'm liking this Poetry Friday business.
Mercedes -- That actually sounds cool, you know? All of the sudden I'm feeling kind of inspired.
Colby -- Not much of a poet. Wish I was a big-time theatre dancer/singer guy instead. That would be kewl.
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