Traveling Slow

Traveling Slow

when the muscular, monkey trees sway
in one direction, their long hands pointing
toward a stranded star, it is my decision
to follow, which is how I find myself
in strange towns, because nothing is
specified and my eyes find the path
a little hard to follow, and I stumble
over material wealth and the riches
of fine food, while love, lies in her red bed,
so friendly to the traveler, but hard
on the one that stays too long.
I see I have chosen the wrong companion,
there is nothing he doesn't already know,
he tells the angels how to fly and why
is not in his dictionary, and I am looking
for simpler things, how to memorize
the lyrics from a seventies song, how to
dance with my hands framing my face,
I read this was enticing, but then I can't
dance, for focusing on my fingers
and to add to the frustration, that
stranded star keeps moving in slow motion,
not stranded at all, just vague and waiting
for me to learn something, but I can't
remember a thing, and my companion keeps
quoting, nonsense, this is nonsense,
and my eyes close to find, a magical kingdom,
according to the map, it is nearby,
but my friend is firing facts and checking
the map for fault lines, so that the star
fades into a black and white bayou
and I keep searching for a river boat queen,
secretly stepping, on the compass
of my companion.

Reviews

[raining]

yes, have we not all been involved with someone we thought they were...

[cartera]

Well done. Excellent use of simple language that builds up complex and imaginative pictures and all in a voice that the reader 'hears' immediately. Good stuff.
ATB
Alex.

[Steve]

I love those lines about love in her red bed, hard on the ones who stay to long, fantastic, so insightful.

This made me think of just how difficult is really is to lose yourself in anything these days, as the world encloses and technology encroaches, and how easily it is to get lost on the way, taking the wrong paths that can lead to sour tastes.

An excellent piece, and so well structured to. Thankyou for sharing! Steve

[Tracie Skarbo]

Oh this is amazing! I love the feel of mystery you have given us through out this poem. Good for you stepping on that compass...:)

[Ed Hart]

almost anyone of these lines you could build a poem around, so that in the aggregate they create a kingdom of line and song that is indeed magical....

[deeps]

I can feel this one. Ilike this alot. This is so well said here.
I like this write alot. It's amazing.

[Emily B]

exactly the road I've been on lately . . . I didn't think I was lost, I just felt a little out of time with the rest of the world. I guess it all depends on the companion. I never knew that before.