Upon the Craggy Spine

A mood I had to express over my lunch hour today...

I persist…

upon the craggy spine of life

knowing full well my place

yet, my purpose

evades understanding

 

Unless…

Unsure…

Until…

 

You wander

upon this arduous path

finding my solitary vista

needing this sanctuary to be

unassailable…

 

I am weather worn

too young

to be thus, I am affected,

prevailing winds and exposure,

lightning strikes discharge

tensions explode, observed

by a casual passerby,

and I confined

within foundational rocks,

thirst…

 

Yes, it is constant,

this burning

thirsty, these roots

delicate and reaching…

a soft persistence

fracturing granite resolve

with a tenderness

of essential vulnerability

yet,  wounded

with the slightest disturbance,

a branch withers and dies…

 

There is shade to be found

if you would satiate your soul,

my fruit brilliantly colorful

succulently sweet,

fragrant blossoms seasonally precede

this display pollinated

by predictability

of chance happenings,

as deadwood past failings provide you fuel,

inviting you to play, cook, and rest

within my flickering combustion…

 

Delight yourself

underneath me

within my canopy of love,

swing on devotion’s triple twined cord…

scribe our twinned history

upon the bark of my flesh,

and when at last

the blight doth reach my heart

entwine me

in flowering vines

of shared purpose

covered in affection’s remembrance.

Reviews

[alifeacoustic]

Writing of the beauty that can be from a hand holding the pen that has known pain and suffered losses in the past, that accumulate not into dire warnings, but of openness and hope that tomorrow does not need to be the same and may bring those chance happenings closer than you imagine.
Wonderful, creative piece. great job David.

[David Scott]

I like your take on the topic my musical friend. Your words hold authenticity to me.
Thank you for your time and comments.

[emmajoy]

A sadness of writing and yet no self.pity, more an awareness of time and condition. Seems a rough path with a few weeds grown on the way but - oh BUT, that finish, that call into the warmest place, is a never.mind.what.we are who and what we are.. complete.

'I am affected, -- prevailing winds and exposure, -- lightning strikes discharge -- tensions explode, observed -- by a casual passerby, -- and I confined -- within foundational rocks, -- thirst… ' Worthy of tears those words.

[David Scott]

This is one write I feel is my emotional biography...
Thank you for the very kind comments.

[softlyfall]

A story of lovely love. The allusion to earth and roots is so sensuous, the implied image of the tree secure and steadfast. The words themselves are delicate, a perfect parallel to the vulnerability of the protagonist. All in all, a glorious valentine.

[David Scott]

Thank you for the perceptive comments. Love must persist... if it is love.

[...]

This is a natural love story of enduring and being endured. Too many outstanding lines, Scott, the whole poem is a sanctuary of sensual poetic magnificence! I love trees. Especially the larger than life ancient hearted ones :) Gorgeous!

[David Scott]

Thank you dear Lynn. This write was heartfelt, but I have learned a bit about the form of free verse since composing this poem. It needs to be reworked a bit, but this who care to see my intention can still see the majesty of nature empathetic to our human condition...

[...]

I think it's a stunner, in fact, I kept it :)

[David Scott]

I just gave it a good edit... I think a big improvement...

[Shaquana Adams]

This is so beautifully written. It's just so powerful and impacting. I love this poem!
-QuanaWana

[David Scott]

Thank you Shaquana. You are very kind.

[s y e]

Pasta Man, this is the perfect dish to munch on before I sleep (school tomorrow, ugh) The emotion is so powerful and the imagery so vivid... This is beyond gorgeous. I second what Frieda said.

[David Scott]

Thank you my dear noodles. :)

[Lisa]

There were so many layers of emotion in this piece, David. I enjoyed it!

[David Scott]

Thank you Lisa. We are all layers of emotion... I am glad you enjoyed the thought.

[TL Boehm]

These roots, delicate and reaching,

A soft persistence,

Fracturing granite resolve,

With a tenderness and essential vulnerability,

such beautiful articulate poetry here. it is sometimes the softest of things that pulverize the strong hold. I have missed reading you.

[David Scott]

Hey! Good to see ya Tammy. :) Yes! This is a very important concept I wanted to get across. Thank you for seeing my intentioned line of reasoning.

[Frontier]

Truly lovely...you captured the healing voice of nature very well.

[David Scott]

Thank you Frontier. I often feel Nature is the only healing path we can seek...

[R Smith]

lovely story telling, the life of a tree has much beauty to offer us and many years of life and wisdom can be seen in this poem, thank you.

[David Scott]

Thank you for reading Richard. For me, wisdom is the ability to put knowledge and experience into perspective and into action. Nature has much to teach us about dynamic wisdom.