Scattered

Scattered

the steps are timid and trembling

treads and risers as mismatched as candelabra in the ghetto

there is a swirl of black pearl there

beyond the edge of the world

                                                  it drops off.

certain hearts shrink for the fear of things

others excite

they are special people ... faith .. or some wild recklessness

                                                   it drops off.

Something Blind; Something Evil

A plan was laid in rock and root today.

one more day just like yesterday

but now now now now now now    ...  dust has changed everything

changed the floor, the mantle

changed on the tops of picture frames 

hanging there on the walls

changed the air and black pearl swirl ...........changed everything

i woke up with the same dread of 

loosing my connection with God and myself

dread fears of taking my last breath and

gazing with last eyes

missing ....missing the sight and line of 

forgiveness ..... missing the point

suspicion like derechos blasting canopy and solid ground

                ...... missing the leveling

ozone scent ... sweet pickle dimple

sublime fertilization of the mind and heart .. lifting

like important information through the shredder

chrome metalflake in back velvet

tacky hotel.

she tip toe'd and

he spent his time striving to

curl his toes around her. 

not much of a future really

so grey and purple when

listening goes to stone and

ears' drumming brakes instead of dawn.

cream color requires dire scrubbing. 

how can i fit into your still small voice?

it keeps it hiding under the bed

forgotten not;

but in waiting while dust swirls and black pearl winds 

are a desert.

03/02/2020

E.

Author's Note

"Derechos: Spanish for “straight ahead,” ..storms producing winds in a straight line that knock down trees and buildings in the same direction from storms that produce rotating winds that cause tornadoes. A derecho storm system is also distinctly wide and fast-moving, causing wind damage for more than 250 miles(larger than the diameter of most hurricanes),with gusts pushing faster than 58 mph along most of its length."

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is a heart-moving poem. I'm like Dave B . . . glad to read a complex & nuanced poem that actually plucks my strings instead of leaving me baffled! As a recovering perfectionist, I can say there's much to be said about embracing our scattered tendencies. If we humans weren't so likely to be scattered, we wouldn't work so hard to be control freaks. This is what it looks like when we finally learn to embrace the scatter . . . to love how the pieces never fit . . . to still enjoy fitting the pieces together anyway. You use stunningly sweeping imagery to show all the ways we feeble humans bumble along, despite our dumb universal act like we're in charge here, which fools nobody. This is such memorable writing:
"i woke up with the same dread of
loosing my connection with God and myself
dread fears of taking my last breath and
gazing with last eyes"

and so much more! But I've got to go plant me some tamaters & squash! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Einstein Noodle]

luv you babe! truly do :) thank you for reading and i am so grateful you went along with the scatter and your perceptions derived from it ... for me... are very gratifying ... you are a gem to continue to read my stuff ... being that linear person you claim to be :) tamaters, squash! ... no taters??

[W. Barrett Munn]

EN-
You make me want to toss my pen in the trash. This is realy, really, good.

Winston

[Einstein Noodle]

i am deeply humbled by your review sir .. humbled indeed .. thanks you so much ... i also feel gratified that this touched your poets heart and mind .. peace love and flower power!
E.

[Troy Dean]

Wow E. just been going through a load of your poems and I love this distinctive style running through them all (it even manages to shine through, binding to Haiku boundaries in your trio Faith Hope Charity)
This one.... scattered... blew me away
certain hearts shrink for the fear of things
others excite
they are special people ... faith .. or some wild recklessness
and this
she tip toe'd and
he spent his time striving to
curl his toes around her.
two of many of my favourite parts to this poem, thank you

[Einstein Noodle]

i am humbled by your words my new found friend .. thank you so much for taking time to wander around my place .. right here at the cafe'
it is especially helpful to know what speaks out to reviewers .. so thank you for that especially .. this is an oldie ... revisiting is like being haunted; but in a weird kind 'a good way
E.

[Seriana]

You caught me at the third line and all I thought about the rest of the poem was the chaos of the pirate ship flipping. Oh Jack Sparrow you little devil!
Then I read it again after watching the video and took a whole new perspective away from this. The title alone draws me in and I try hard to not let them influence me. This just reminds me of the cray network of thoughts branching out in the mind all at the same time, going nowhere and everywhere at the same time! Fun read!

[Einstein Noodle]

i had not thought of that connection .. Jack's Black Pearl!! love those movies :) really happy you watched and listened to the video Seriana .. thanks so much .. and for a second read of the poem .. yeah .. there are certainly lots of avenues in, among and between the lines ;) peace and love sister!
E.

[Lorry]

Title and visual, along with words and lines growing shoots from thoughts leave me thinking of discord becoming the new normality.
Picture shows clear cut lines and vibrancy of colour, while your words speak of discord, or perhaps disharmony of life being a little less clear cut and ever stranger, as your thoughts are anything but timid and trembling. If only more of us let our thoughts and pen merge and collide in such a free flowing, yet structured and nuanced way.
Certain hearts shrink, others excite could be a description of same heart, different thinking, dependant on the situations our thoughts wander into. I like how it mentally took me on a tour of neighbourhoods perhaps uncharted to me and showed vibrancy, even in describing such simples as dust.
It is always such a pleasure to wander the corridors of your mind E. It stays with you after final word said, moving fluidly in thoughts that will resonate and clear into seeing another perspective of thought that makes itself known when my thinking catches up with yours.
Will no doubt at some point in coming days stop and think "ahh, I see it now" 😀

[Einstein Noodle]

Lorry .. your words humble and gratify my heart and mind .. to read with sensitivity and care as you have is far more than what one can hope for in writing .. thank you so very much ... i love the aspect of the same heart and different situations ..and mind sets ..i think you see quite clearly sir ... its all cerebral and emotive effects of thought ;) love and peace brother .. so glad we know each other a bit more all the time .. right here at the Cafe'
E.

[Lorry]

Indeed. Rarely review on first read, as have been known to see between lines and assume, so more often than not, second read speaks more clearly and show more of the bigger picture.
Some people are cat people, others dog people. Have always been a penguin guy myself 😀

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahaha Beauregard my English Mastiff friend of all friends leaves no room for cats nor penguins .. but hey .. to each our own eh!? our animal friends give so much more in return for so little :)

[Troy Henson]

Someone once said to me “why settle for less when you can have more” I’m a dreamer, I’m a thinker, I’m a doer but being so scattered often leaves me wondering where days went or how days turned to nights and how days turn so quickly to weeks. I’m a huge fan of never wondering what if! Thank you for this one it was most enjoyable

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks for the visit Troy .. truly happy you related and enjoyed .. its on the long side for me normal .. but one i personally like .. funny how we have those isn't it .. seems more times than not .. those we like are those not well received ... its gratifying that you took time .. thank you for your encouraging words sir!
E.

[Moonie]

Your writing style is always so distinct and nuanced, that I generally have to read it several times to understand what you mean, and I'm sure there still might be several points that i would end up missing. I can realise the effort that went in each line. Ahhhh it must be awfully tough to write poetry that grows in beauty with each re-read!!
The very first thing I noticed was how you create the visual cue of disorder by using different line lengths and the beautiful chaos in the artwork.

This reads to me like how many people attempt to smoothen out their lives (laying plans in rock and root), to avoid change and chaos as much as possible, to live from coffee spoon to coffee spoon, but life has different plans for them (the dust changing everything). We try to fill our lives with illusions of order- religion, philosophy, discipline etc but they're all flimsy and fall apart in the end if you aren't happy. We try to distract our minds from how short life really is, finding comfort in the most mind-numbing activities and label it as our purpose. But deep down, we are dubious about silencing the inner voice within us that screams that our lives are incomplete and hollow. We aren't supposed to ignore that voice, we are supposed to feed it with adventures.

"i woke up with the same dread of
loosing my connection with God and myself
dread fears of taking my last breath and
gazing with last eyes"..... loved this line!

[Einstein Noodle]

hi Moon Child! i am so happy your review brought me back to this one .. it is one of my favorites if we are allowed such things ;) and i love how you relate to it .. yes yes yes to all you share .. in my own life ..trying ... as we all do .. to "get it together" .. will always fail .. once we finally stop working at it so hard .. and suddenly listen .. there will be revelation .. we will hear the soft, quiet voice of God .. if we can only be brave, take heart and respond .. life changes for good .. this is my experience .. many flavors of it for others no doubt ... those lines you point out are most important to me in this one .. really glad you found it and decided to read ... and read with sensitivity and insight .. love on ya .. we've been friends a while now haven't we?

[adornoscousin]

I felt a sense of loss and regret after reading this. Something blind/something evil seems to describe an awful lot these days. Great poem

[Einstein Noodle]

hello adornocousin! nice to meet you! thank you for finding me pages and reading this one .. yes .. most certainly dark .. with loss and a great deal of blindness ... glad you liked the read .. thank you! i will be by your place soon .. again .. nice to meet you!
E.

[Unspoken poet]

Wow, this is moving really, I enjoyed this

[Einstein Noodle]

you are blessing me so much with your visiting .. thank you again! as you know some poems are closer to the poet than others .. this is one of those .. your review is quite encouraging .. thank you! .... joy and comfort!
E.

[hayzed]

We become conquerors in United. Good and inspirational

[Einstein Noodle]

what an interesting comment hayzed! thank you for the visit and nice to meet you ... would you expand on what you mean a bit? ... what was inspired in you about this poem? ... see you round the Cafe' eh!?
E.

[AJNJ]

Scattered!

It's a great word for the human experience. Given the kaleidoscopic nature of earthly experiences, we couldn't be anything even if we tried.

I often have these fears myself. Trepidation and trembling! Deep seated fears that come to the fore in the half-asleep, partially wakeful state so this poem was greatly relatable to me.

These words are powerful reflectors of the deep-seated apprehensions in the psyche. The fear of facing an end with a question looming still - 'what was the point' Just superb!

The paintbrush strokes of life, the impressions you leave on this page are so telling of the human experience. Our failings, the places we go and things we see in life, they remain with us as it ends. I took so much away from your words today. Thanks!

[Einstein Noodle]

wow ... couldn't ask for more from a read .. thanks so much for taking time to soak it in and think ... yeah ..life is all that aint it?! ;) every day miracle we are still here huh!? ... peace and joy my new found friend! right here at the Cafe'
E.

[AJNJ]

I will be coming back for more. Appreciating your poetry much. :) My pleasure sir.