When she sings on key, I listen.
Meanderings become destinations
and I know she may be lost.
Is this riptide what compels me,
invisible danger that makes
a father drop his book and run
through white water for the deep
where everything is magnified,
in terror, his destiny to save her,
whether she desires it or not?
I only hallow all the trouble
stirring like the rolling ocean
crashing on her, turning her
akimbo, disorienting gravity
brushing her immortally,
as if she’s witness to the tumult
of the ages, recording time.
I draw a light around her,
shouldering her tears. What use
is understanding but shelter
from the wind, the biting sand?
This is so powerful. I especially like the line: “a father drops his book and runs through white water for the deep.” I’d do the same for my daughter.
Thank you! I was thinking no one had read it–and then found your welcome response. I appreciate it greatly.It gives me a feeling like it was fine to leap into the ocean again. And yes, her father will.
another beautiful poem, Rae. you must have a deep well of poetry within. the question at the end i’ll keep with me…
I almost needed to hide this poem, but it desperately wanted out. Thank you for your kind response.
Parents have different means of and reasons for trying to save, shelter, protect their children. Your poem illustrates that with two stanzas; one with 10 lines–one with 11.
Thank you, Rudy! One of the hardest things is just standing by, for me. Sometimes, love is all you can do.
THE POWER OF POETRY
A poem has the power to create a sense of clarity
that transcends our logical or rational understanding
of things. In fact, if we give in to the temptation
to discuss a poem’s revelation outside the bounds of
poetry, to bring it fully into the light of reason
and knowledge, there’s a good chance the sense
of clarity (or of “getting it”) we experienced will
dissolve like honey in tea. I’ve known this for
a while, but didn’t really understand why until
I watched a documentary on creativity recently.
The neuro-scientist who narrated the video
pointed out that there is an area in the brain
which enables us to get a joke or metaphor/poem.
It frees us from many of the constraints and limitations
of logical thought, it seems. It doesn’t take things
too literally. It can tolerate a bit of uncertainty
or ambiguity. I think of it as being like taking a walk
in the woods and rather than remaining totally focused
on the path before you, you let your eyes and your
mind wander, searching without intention and open
to whatever the woods wishes to reveal .
If you watch the video you’ll hear him discuss a
highly trained meditator who tried at first to solve
a word problem or puzzle by being extremely focused
(or by applying his considerable intellectual or reasoning
ability.) He failed miserably. Then he changed his
strategy and approached the puzzle with an unfocused
mind, turning the search for the answers over to the
joke and metaphor/poetry interpreting part of the brain,
and he had a one hundred percent success rate. So, in
order to experience or to enhance that sense of clarity
or of “getting it,” we would be more successful if we
didn’t try so hard to figure a poem out or get it to make
perfect sense. Here’s an old poem that may be relevant:
READING POEMS
one reads a poem the way he
reads the rain dimpled surface
of the river, with an eye
free to move with
the circles as they swell and
enter one another, always
flowing gracefully in one
great fluid painting on the water
Thank you for the rich reading, James! Sometimes all I can do is just get out of the way. It means more than you could know to receive this thoughtful response.
You are all such treasures!
Wow Rae, wonder, danger, destiny, immortality, the specter of death, and then that incredible final image, ‘what use is understanding but shelter from the wind, the biting sand.’ I was in the poem all the way. Great work.
I got behind on reading other LexPoMo poets, and I’m sure glad I caught up to this one. Dazzling poem, Rae! Contains such tenderness and kindness.
Karen, I had hit a dry spot, and I came back to read the comments. Thank you for your warm reading and words!
Such an eloquent comment on being a parent. The last line is really breathtaking!
Thank you so much! You have all been so kind. I really needed to understand your enthusiasm.
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