The Tangled Branch Discussion Forums

I cannot help

these young men
to thread their tapestries of loss,
knot the unraveled stitching

in their imaginations.
Balanced on their chairs
over a widening pool of grief,
they can only divine for signs,

eyeless smiles,
upturned hands emploring
ancient gods,
self sacrificial wounds
that presage the unthinkable.

How can the hopeful know
ageless despair cannot drive
straight or far but veers

towards trees, empty verges
and potter’s field?

Hi Dave,

I've revisited this one several times. It addresses a number of situations in many parts of the world. No matter the politics, struggles, drought, famine, inhumane actions of others, at bottom is the despair, hopelessness, and seeming unsolvable problems facing many millions of people. It is heart-wrenching. Poignant writing that, as you have often said, needs to be out there---stated in as many ways as possible, kept before the hearts and minds of good people until some global shift takes place---or die trying.

Thank you for this poem

Thank you Indar i always appreciate your poetry and comments about poetry plus your interest in wider concerns ratger than seeing poetry just as a reflection of autumn leaves falling

This poem presents a strong theme eloquently. The unraveled fabric is particularly strong - what grief does to lives.
I agree with Indar about how these intensely personal lines achieve a universal.

T

I read and reread this a bunch of time since coming back and have failed to comment. I still can't other than to say, "yah".

The balanced chair image of S3 is a standout among a field of gems.

Thanks Tracy and Mark, glad you found Things to like.
Dave

Like others here, I keep coming back to this poem, reading it again. And again and again. And I'm at a loss for words. It's powerful and gripping. Don't know what else to say.