In Awe of Pebbles and Playwrights

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Silent circling seabirds stroke the air.  Beneath their shadows granite statues line the dreaming shore. A girl with raven hair, an ashen dress, and a thousand beads appears, and a brilliance of light engulfs us. I turn and am enveloped within her eyes.

     She speaks in riddle’s music. “Be honest in your waking times or the truth will haunt your dreams.”

     “Please, would you speak to me again?  Why do I find you here?” I say.  “Here in this wasteland where I am barren and empty.  Have you no word for me?”

     Her gray, gypsy shadow becomes flesh and her riddles flow like spring rain.

 

“A pebble thrown in a pool

may ripple from end to end,

but tossed into the sea,

it is swallowed by enormity.”

 

     A screaming silence surrounds us, though waves claw the shore in hushed strokes.  My words claw at my throat.  “In silent words, you speak so much.”

     “And you, though you speak volumes, say precious little.  Don’t you know that words are actors set in motion, and you are the playwright?  They can create a mood of harmony or destroy peace in violent isolation.  Words are civilians or soldiers; artists or autocrats; worshippers or pagans.  They make you rich or sell you into poverty.  Master them and you rule, or be mastered by them and serve.”  She pauses in red reflections.

     “Words can sway the masses; words can sway your own soul.”

     I turn my back to the sea.  Its salt is stinging.  “And what of me in this empty place? Am I a pebble in a pond or tossed in the sea? What of me?”

     “Only you can glimpse what you will be. Look within you, and not in the shallows… look deep in the chasms past all hope of land… What do you see there? Look deep and ponder what you perceive…”

     Her raven hair lifts as if wings, she turns away, and all fades to white and whispers in the salted sun.

Reviews

[Ladysue]

oh the pebble imagery was brilliant...made me stop and think, a say wow, yeah...simple but so profound. this poem is so well crafted. One of your best if not your best...I enjoy this very much...amazingly done...

[Desert Dreamer]

Powerful words, written so that I read this as if it were my dream. This is quite an amazing piece of work here. It is a dream with the dream symbols and messages. The pebble imagery is the best, to me it says that it is easier for us to effect change in our local environment rather than to try to change the world. These words you have written say so much. I hope you publish this one.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for this beautiful poem. You took me to a good place. I spend six years living on the coastlines. I learn to dream again. I learn words are very important. I taught my kids. No-one will trust a person who lies. All we have in the end is self respect and integrity.
"They make you rich or sell you into poverty."
A outstanding poem.
Coyote

[jkhatz]

Your writing is like heroin. I'm utterly addicted to it! Craig, you've been such a wonderful friend to me at the cafe and on facebook, even when I was MIA. I'm thrilled to have come back to this place and see that you're still writing your beautiful words. Please, never, ever, ever, never stop.

Now onto this specific, little treasure. Again, as I've said countless times, your imagery far exceeds that of what even great writers aspire to.

The tone of what a great writer can do is presented with exquisite precision. You've taken all our hands to this far away land, helping us to tap into the unabated soul of a true, genius writer.

[Sunflower/Sara Kendrick]

Interesting work..I enjoyed the line "in silent truth you speak so much"...Great idea...I always say there is a huge different in having to say something and having something to say..Glad that I chose this one as one of the works that I could read today..Sunflower

[Brianna Brie]

This is awesome! It is the best I have read in a while. I love the riddled form. It adds so much depth. My attention was captured from beginning to end. Splendid write!

[cfix]

This is so beautiful Craig. I really enjoyed this write.
Very well done and such wonderful imagery. Love this write.
It is very captivating.

[Adelia Alighieri]

Aw, this is beautifully creative! Another fine work from you!

[Geralyn Miller]

I want some of what you are imbibing!
All kidding aside, to me, this reads like a spirit quest; quite profound and with much to make the reader ponder their future.