Clouds laced with anger and bits of RNA light green on dark gray on khaki with red splatterings wind whipped banners broken glass dangerous seeds in the wind And then it rained it rained hard all day it could rain tomorrow, too infectious particles carried to ground into rivers and seas into our being Do we stay inside dry and warm and watch our foundations erode our connecting tissues degrade or do we step into boots and slickers grab our tools and get to work filling community sandbags staunching the flow rebuilding toward the light on the far horizon Marv Himmel© February 3, 2021
It took me longer than usual to figure out my reaction to this poem, but the more I reread it, the more I like it. I’d like to hear about your inspiration for it, if you ever care to share that. Thanks for all your poetry!
This piece represents my struggle with this winter, the pandemic and the assault on the Capitol in Washington. Somehow they all came together. I wrote it shortly after watching the assault roll out. It represents my struggle with optimism, anger, and my reluctance to engage. Thanks for your support.
I thought that might be what was going on; there was definitely a different tone in this work. You’re certainly not alone in your struggle; few of us have remained the same in the face of our current realities. And few have the gift, as you have, of being able to write about it with grace. Thanks again!
Your poem makes me want to believe in the human spirit; to believe in my own spirit. It makes me want to believe that doing the hard work of the right thing, staying true to the gifts of compassion, community, integrity, and morality will ultimately grow something exquisite, even from the toxic mud that sucks desperately on our feet in its petulant attempt to root us in disharmony . It really makes me want to believe.
Hope and despair or really hard to manage. Glad it moved you.