Niobe

The strongest passions, joy and sorrow

Contract the feelings like a vice,

A solid block no word can slice,

As lead today, and lead tomorrow.

The thicker humors have congealed.

Water alone can spurt and run,

Too light to join that unison

When bliss and sadness have annealed.

Though salted, tears can trickle down,

So fluid in comparison

To what calamity has stung.

So grieve, repent, blame, weep, or clown,

And breath is borrowed from the air,

And words but clipped and scripted breath.

Can grief pronounce a shibboleth,

Or rapture limn what’s past compare?

Reviews

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I found myself coming back to this poem because of the emotion it conveys and speaks to. I was especially drawn to this line: When bliss and sadness have annealed.
It really seemed to resonate with me. Wonderful work on this piece David.