The Healers- Part I: Epilogue

A dark vision comes to pass after we shut out the world's light- a tribute to my dear friend Vince, perhaps also my vision of Yeats' "Second Coming". "The worst are full of passionate intensity..."

The Healers- Part I

for V. Quatroche- this doesn't compare to yours, but I'm trying!

We drove the gentle to an early grave
Among us, the seekers of Life, we scorned,
Our Love affair with harsh reality
Enclosed our hearts with the surety of zealots-
We raised up token heroes we would never emulate.

So when the blood tides were unleashed,
There were none left to stay the hand
We had silenced the voice of reason in a fell moment
As we invoked the name of Jesus
While in grip, the flag, us crying “God Bless This OUR Land”

But who is it heals the healers?
And who proclaims true the visions
Of the broken-hearted dreamers
When the saviors are just too bloody tired
To face, for us, the darkness of our own souls?

We proclaimed, like thunder, as one voice
“To love it you must die for it!”
Muffling the other side- the ones who simply asked,
“What if I would rather live for mine-
Is my service really less patriotic- because I am still alive?”

And an eagle, revered but endangered still
Flew away clutching a bleeding heart in its talons
As the ruling ones quake in their shoes
For what comes next- a giant void
Left drowning in our loneliness when the bubble finally burst.

But who is it heals the healers?
And who supports wholly the visions
Of the broken-hearted dreamers
When the saviors are just too bloody tired
To face, on our behalf, the darkness of our own souls?

Tell me, child, we beseech- what comes next for us-
What is the future that you see?
But we forgot to teach that child how to dream-
And thus he is too busy simply being entertained
Enthralled by visions of others- he has not felt his own.

The pendulum of the world must right itself again,
And slowly, it swings
As a nation of people who forgot how to listen to their hearts
Pray for forgiveness
From a God they never learned to know.

But who is it heals the healers?
And who remembers the lost visions
Of the broken-hearted dreamers
When the saviors are just too bloody tired
To face, for us, the darkness we nourish in our own souls?




 

Author's Note

Inspired partly by the poem "THEM" by Vincent Quatroche, from his book "Another Rubber Eden". Inspired partly by Yeats' "Second Coming". Finally, inspired partly by the fact that my eyes are open, and I pay attention.

This is Part I of a trilogy. Not my easiest work, I know... but I appreciate any thoughts you have on this.

Reviews

[Cool Handless Luke]

When the saviors are just too bloody tired
To face, for us, the darkness of our own souls?

Love that part of the chorus - if you will. And sometimes - many times - we do indeed nourish that darkness. What's that line from the book of Luke. . ."physician, heal thyself." It's not the book of Cool Handless Luke but strangely enough it is verse 23! Coincidence? lol I'm off to read part 2. You are truly a talented writer "Marie."

[Angi]

Marie, I am so happy I could place you in my contest. This one made me think. Who would heal the healers?! Angi~

[Marie Anzalone]

a question many of us ask all of the time, Angi. Thank you for taking the time to review this and thank you too for the contest placing. Much, much appreciated.

[Angi]

My pleasure, always. Angi~

[Mark]

Truly, the pendulum of our Nation's inspiration has swung as far from God as it seems liable to...But, as is the way of pendulums, in the right season, it will return! Even as the Hebrews' faith waned, and God permitted them to have their Judges, to have their Kings, and to be enslaved, not once but three times, so God has permitted Americans who have forgotten Him to become enslaved! When we return, however is not up to physics, but it is up to US! We ARE the Healers, in that sense, but we are not alone, as ultimately, there is only one Master Healer, who will oversee and guide all our efforts, as long as He perceives that we are making the effort!

[Clockwork]

This piece is a mirror of modern day America in some ways. From "God bless this our land" all the way down to the images of the children devoid of dreams. It also reminds me of the crusades with lines such as "So when the blood tides were unleashed, There were none left to stay the hand."

You raise a great question in this piece. I think that formerly we had other healers to heal the healers. Some healed with physical attention, others with spiritual care, and still others with verse. As the world ages it seems as if there are somehow fewer of each of these groups to tend to those who heal the wounded. Some of this can be attributed to the temptation of a close minded comfort zone, and the rest can be heaped upon the plate of laziness.

In the end it must be the common man, and the man with the pen that must heal those who heal. We must be our own saviors and sometimes save those who protect us. We must look into the darkness while it looks back and glean its graces while not giving into its equally strong abyss.

[Through the Gateway]

Indeed. Who does heal the healers? We heal each other.

Very, very good. It has a lyrical quality to it that I like. It reminds me of T. S. Eliot's work.

[George Love]

Who does the healer go to for healing? Those they healed. Very well done !

[raining]

there were some things said in this poem that were real genius.
we...forgot to teach the child how to dream... and then: and thus he is too busy simply being entertained...Enthralled by visions of others- he has not felt his own...

those lines... are so dead on...

talking about a God they never learned to know.... this takes the poem to a stronger level, it makes the reader think.

at the begining of then poem i was saying okay, so it is a patriotic poem, tell me more, but by the end this poem really did tell the reader more. very good, thanks raining

[Emily B]

almost prophetic in its scope, I, too, want to know who heals the healers and I wonder who will teach the children to dream

this is extremely skillful writing.