Finishing

Finishing

 

Briefly, my feet compress the sand

     I feel it grind beneath me

Briefly, dry scald of wind scours my face

     Then slips and whips behind me

And all of an instant my steps erase

 

As sand does polish and abrade

      So this sand will polish me

Briefly beautiful,  smooth white bones

      Open to view, part sand part me

Until a final grinding, then man entirely sand

 

Reviews

[Stellaa3]

Very powerful poem! My interpretation of this poem is about death. The wind represents the inevitability of death and how the marks we leave in life often tend to fade away along with our bodies (" And all of an instant my steps erase"). Amazing job! :)

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for your beautiful and thoughtful comment. I am not a poet, but even a blind hog will find an acorn now and then.

[Relic]

Life is very short. We will all become bones that turn to dust. This to me is a metaphor for life in general with its storms that come and go. "As sand does polish and abrade." You did a great job on this.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading and your comments. just another way of saying what we all know or will discover.

[itsnoteoin]

elegant. simple. sublime.
a treasure.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks nice coming from the precocity section. I'm very impressed by your work.

[itsnoteoin]

the sentiment is wholly mutual, friend. :)

[Willard Wells]

A very beautiful and moving piece. Kind of the dust to dust. Or as I die spread my ashes to the wind and the ocean. I love the birth to death feel watching your time fade and blend in with all the other pieces of sand. Thank you for sharing your words and mind.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thank you for reading and for your comments. I am in your debt.

[h d e rushin]

this is so like Auden, I mean that "Law is our Fate" interpretation. No reference to heavens
past or future, no angry crowds, just goodmorning and goodnight. Finishing is, in other
places but the bible belt, eternity.

I can imagine you writing poems with a calm hand and in a quiet place.
The imagery here being so peaceful.

well done.....dana

[Delmar Cooper]

We here at the "Home" find the calmness soothing.

[Cory Barrett]

Time
and grit
and wind.

And those who run
and those who cut the head wind
and those who ride against

They are finished first,
polished
ground
dust.

Really great write here Mr. Cooper

[Delmar Cooper]

Profoundly pleased by your poetic comment

[Lyn Anderson]

This is beautiful, and somehow sad. The picture you paint is vivid. I think of the mandala, meticulously crafted, and then washed away.

[Delmar Cooper]

Yes a good analogy I think. Appreciate your comments.

[Isabel25]

OOooo! This is deep. This is interesting...lovely employment of imagery. I like the last line especially; how you have beautifully portrayed man becoming one with the sand. How he breaks down to turn into one among the gazillion particles of stark white sand.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for your words. You make me feel good about writing.

[CD Campbell]

Sand can really polish you when it gets in your shorts at the beach. Thoughtful D. Very well written. See you on the flipside. CD

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading.

[Matching Socks]

We start as dust we'll end as dust.
I have a vision of a man decomposing on a beach, bones smoother over by time, worn down to pebbles by the pounding of the surf.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading and your thoughtful comment.