The War

I’m here, I'm here!  

Comes the voice

as it struggles and crackles 

into the other side of a viscous landline

Leaning into a mountain's cane

There is the madness of angels to his madness

and to hear it, well, 

it is a harsh but wonderful thing

You bleed and you blunder

adapting to the new expectations 

knowing nothing for whatever has become of his hour

And yes he’ll get angry

and yes he'll get sad

but not in the sense that you'd think

Architects have their own final agenda

they walk the rooms just a little bit more sly and

a little bit more slow

Appreciating whatever powerlessness means 

and it seems with me at times too harsh 

other than to simply feed these passers by 

Half an apple for his mind

the other for his theater of war 

outside of his window

"I have to go brush my teeth!!"

he announces to a table that's become a new

Jackson Pollock 

And there again

at last the man I've known since birth

and so the rumblings of a Waterpik

have become Sinatra

I know you understand

and maybe you'll find new nature in what I am saying

and what it is to be forgiven

What it means to be judged and by it

wonderfully freed

The Balanesian dancers are no longer 

as beauty has always been surreal and the moment abstract

marching in through the outs of the everyday

So I take this in 

watching the wars for the split of an apple

laughing with a similar madness 

finding new loveliness in the gift and 

relieving stoppage of an ancient Waterpik 

And a door that's become just a little bit slower to sway 

Reviews

[softlyfall]

I cannot begin to say how much i enjoyed this. It is somewhat challenging but worth it to reread and consider because literally ( in the correct sense of the word, not the colloquial) every stanza has something intricate and thoughtworthy. Your word choices are exciting to me, complicated and imaginative imagery
For some reason I thought of father and Son, by Cat Stevens
"How can I try to explain?
When I do, he turns away again
It's always been the same
Same old story"

[Perdition]

" If they were right, I'd agree but it's them they know not me" ...one of the first songs I learned on guitar. I loved Cat and always will no matter what name he uses!! Thank you a trillion for the review and for introducing yourself and your wonderful poetry to my humble page. We must speak of Joseph, Blake, and all those wonderful myths one day! All the others of those golden ages. Thank you again softlyfall.

[Ken e Bujold]

fantastique! my friend. the image of a mountain cane is worth the price of admission in and of itself. the rest of this great little screed is just icing and a cherry on top. by time i finished reading I felt an urge for my own waterpik.

ken

[Perdition]

Thank you, kind sir. This man loves to eat half an apple and toss the other half outside to see who will win the war..the gopher, the crows, the deer, turkey, bigfoot...etc. A wonderful theater that I am lucky to enjoy and have to head out tomorrow towards so I'll hear that ancient Waterpik once again and thank god!!..lol. Always appreciated ken!