Right now your ancestress
is reminded of the time
she was warned
about a super storm bearing down.
Everyone else made jokes
right up until they saw
the eerie green sky,
that turned skeptics into believers
in a baptism by hurricane.
Is the sun shining while you are reading this?
Are you sharing hugs
with all the folks you love
free from the feeling
that your touch has doomed them.
I hope so.
Sometimes it seems
that the time you live in
is more real to me than mine
because I can imagine
some sort of normal existing there
that isn’t possible here.
In this time, my time,
there’s ugly trying to choke
the bright out of anything
that wants to shine.
Your ancestress,
she was given an explanation
for this vacuum of leadership.
Some had their reasons you see
to keep dancing with all the devils
that brought them to the party.
But there is more than arrogance and disdain
flowering in this time too, dear descendant.
There were folks all lined up
at a local grocery store
waiting their turns to shop
their friendliness still able to reach
their fellow shoppers and the store employees
from six feet away.
There’s folks checking in their neighbors.
People who bring in other people’s kids from the cold.
There are people sharing their talents
over electronic campfires,
patching over the frayed bits of life
with colorful fabric of their own weaving.
There’s people sharing what they have
to make things last
just a little longer, until this is over.
Which makes me hope
there will be a tomorrow
when this ancestress can hand off her letter
to a future generation
who will understand what she means
when she says love is what saved us in the end,
despite devils and skeptics.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
 |
| Pandora by John William Waterhouse |
This piece was created for Weekly Scribblings #12 at Poets and Storytellers United, Nevertheless, She Persisted. You can hear me read this poem out loud on my Instagram and Facebook pages.
Good poem! Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteYou too! Things are crazy out there.
DeleteThe very best thing to persist in! I am glad you are able to see the positives, and that there are positives to see.
ReplyDeleteI try to find some joy where I can :)
DeleteYes, it is really scary that in some countries this present threat to millions of peoples lives is glossed over as a very short problem and back to business soon. Luckily in other countries every life is precious and governments are more concerned in protecting them.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm in one of those countries where there seems to be a debate over the value of lives versus the economy. It's not a pleasant thing.
DeleteI love the way you address the reader directly, as a descendant, get right to the point and ask questions, Rommy. Women have never tried to overthrow the patriarchy, always taking the gentle route, the persuasive, warning, plant an idea in their heads kind of route. But it hasn’t worked because men won’t listen. I love the phrases ‘ugly trying to choke / the bright out of anything / that wants to shine’ and ‘dancing with all the devils / that brought them to the party’ – very effective. Most of all I like the contrasting final lines, showing the gentle side of people, giving us hope. I’m sure love can save us – we just have to convince the patriarchs.
ReplyDeleteI hope in the aftermath of all this, society as a whole can see how untenable some ideas and institutions are.
DeleteThis is absolutely stunning in its depth and use of diction, Rommy!💝 It feels like a message for the coming generations. I agree with Kim, women have never really been given a fair chance by men who refuse to accept and see another's point of view.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sanaa
Delete"In this time, my time,
ReplyDeletethere’s ugly trying to choke
the bright out of anything
that wants to shine."
Exactly, yet we will wash our hands stay indoors as much as possible and pray
much love...
Washing our hands is a good place to start
DeleteIn the end, love is always what does it. It is love that nudge us to care for ourselves and others, to keep from punching the skeptic who spreads disbelief and disinformation like disease. It is love that helps us breathe while the whole world is "[baptized] by hurricane." Yes, that phrase will probably stay with me for ages.
ReplyDeleteI know it gives me the energy to get up and keep trying when nothing else will.
DeleteYou graphicly touch on all that wrong, and lead us to the small vignettes of good that are springing up everywhere. They give us hope some good may come from this crisis.
ReplyDeleteI hope some long term lessons are learned
DeleteA simple 'yes' to the content of your poem ....
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteStraight to my heart.. I call across the lawn, across the street to ask if neighbors are alright and if they have needs. Life has changed.. May the other side of this bring a much better world.
ReplyDeleteI check in with others every so often too
DeleteYour Waterhouse painting of Pandora opening her box of (corvid 19 ?) is perfect to go with your ancestral letter. I wonder if he was psychic?
ReplyDeleteOne wonders
Deletethere’s ugly trying to choke
ReplyDeletethe bright out of anything
that wants to shine.... perfectly describes these covid days... and the ugliest is yet to manifest, it seems...
In the days after I wrote this, I've heard some pretty scary stuff. And yes, I know there's plenty of room for things to get even scarier after that.
DeleteYou described it so well Love the message in the end "that love saved us in the end" My favourite line "patching over the frayed bits of life
ReplyDeletewith colorful fabric of their own weaving." and
"In this time, my time,
there’s ugly trying to choke
the bright out of anything
that wants to shine." ....Great
So glad you enjoyed it
DeleteA great poem. I'm a Brit and in the thick of it at the moment. And again i can see that when adversity strikes, the best of humanity shines through.
ReplyDeleteI hope you've been fairing better than we have here in the States. We achieved some very questionable milestones.
DeleteLife moves on and yes we need persistence and love to move on
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteThis is so beautiful Rommy, when others are more concerned with stock exchanges and profit how important it is for those that see the need to survive not to be swayed by political greed. Those of us that love the world and our friends and life will surely agree.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed it
DeleteLove this! That sense of hope is a lifeline, as is the description of people persisting in kindness despite separation.
ReplyDeleteThanks C
DeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it
DeleteI love this!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteYour words, so beautifully arranged, have provided me with the most artistic and inspirational message of hope I've seen thus far. I think I see your heart in this poem and I'm grateful that you share it.
ReplyDeleteThank yo so much for the kind words. I am so happy my piece was that touching.
DeleteStandouts for me: "baptism by hurricane" and
ReplyDelete"Some had their reasons you see
to keep dancing with all the devils
that brought them to the party."
It felt as a truly personal message. Wonderful!
Thanks
DeleteYes, "despite the devils and skeptics." There is plenty of blame to go around but as you've depicted here, these are the times where the best of humanity can shine.
ReplyDeleteIf I focus on blaming, I'd probably go mad within minutes.
DeleteLove is the only way! Another great story Rommy! Thank you! Big Hugs!
ReplyDelete<3 Thanks Stacey!
DeleteCatching up with the Poets & Storytellers after months offline...I like this poem, even if I understand it in a different sense than it was written. Bloated government is the ugly trying to choke the bright...the ultimate cosmodemonic corporation. We have the leadership we need: the examples of good people--we just have to follow them.
ReplyDeleteI liked that song, too.