The Coin

Sometimes it takes a JOAT (Jack of all Trades)

The Coin

Narrow, twisted and dusty be the road.

Three aged and wise stood,

They argued terribly one with the other.

No light shined in the void.

Shadows be cast no longer.

The face in all its beauty,

Beauty is the true.

The face gleams through the dark.

It be the right,

The other two be the wrong.

The tail in all its knowledge,

Knowledge is all.

The tail is the two-edged sword.

A sword that cuts all,

Causing even the face to fall.

Blood and darkness drips from the brilliant blade,

It cuts through the vilest falseness.

The edge in its slimness,

In nothing lay bliss.

Little leads to peace,

Happiness be found in simplicity.

The complex be simple,

It balances all on its thinness.

From the west, he came.

Quietly, and carefully he followed.

His feet followed the treacherous twisted path.

Silently, he watched the aged three.

Let us ask the stranger young.

Young speaks not nor knows not.

Beauty not be his,

Knowledge he posses not.

Thinness lacks, he.

Veiled darkness age must spread.

He who lacks all stands,

The three elderly ignore nothing.

Beauty is all in anger drops face.

Quiet enters their midst.

He lifts face.

Covered with dusty grime be beauty,

Light smothered in darkness.

His soft hand destroys the darkness,

Again, beauty be true.

He turns face to tail.

Bent and varnished crimson be the sword.

Dull be the sharp,

His scarred hand straightens the bent.

And wiped away the stain.

Again, knowledge is all.

He turns tail to edge.

Fat with dry loam be simple,

Bliss has fled nothing.

Happiness hides from simplicity.

Tenderly, his hand pushes aside the dust.

Again complex be simple.

He leaves the aged three.

Silent ever more be the three,

Watch they strange young

Quietly, he follows.

Still silent he avoids the rough rocks.

As the sun rises, he dwindles.

Light spreads,

No corner hath darkness,

Darkness can no longer be found.

Once again, it's pure unblemished light gleams.

Author's Note

I know there are some grammar issues in the poem. Someday I may fix them but I like the way those words came together. Sometimes streams of consciousness just do not translate in a grammatical way.

Reviews

[Vatsal Rohilla (account..]

Every thing has two aspects- two sides. A coin can teach us a whole library, can't it? It is an allegory. You can associate it with many things. The reality of life is hidden in a coin- two sides, two faces. Nothing is constant in life, except change. That's ironic, isn't it?---Change is constant.
Well this poem of yours is amazing. Keep writing

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing this writing. I am glad you liked it and got a value meaning out of it.

[iamshadowine]

wonderful piece! i loved it!
keep writing :D

[Marianne Rose]

I like this a lot, and stream of consciousness writing is so often surprising- what comes from underneath or above. I like the lack of proper grammar, it evokes a different language, older, more primal than we have come to be with our words, almost like shorthand or sign language. This morning, I am too thick with sleep to understand it, the paradoxes, the meeting of the young with the three, and what the poem means to speak to me. But it is intriguing and deep, from some other time I have not traveled, an invitation into a mysterious story of alchemy. Thank you for just letting it be . . . I sense there is so much more under the words that I can fathom.

[H.L. Cerveise]

I am glad you like this poem. I was trying to make it feel ancient and spiritually primal. So from what you have said, and William have said I will never touch this poem. That is good because I did not have the heart to change its meanings and layers in any way.

[Marianne Rose]

I'm glad you will let it stay as it is- there aren't too many poems I sense could be a reading for a group to respond to and discuss- I imagine a group of 7 or 8 friends, sitting in a circle, taking this one slowly, through weekly meetings to discuss what they think of the meanings and layers. It can be seen from many points of view, and reflect many life lessons. Thank you again . . .

[William Liston]

Love the poem...but I'm actually reviewing this because of the author's note. I agree that sometiems streams of consciousness don't translate in a grammatical way (at least not properly). I believe that there are two types of punctuation, the type that makes something grammatically correct and the type that creates an effect of some sort (sometimes punctuation can do both). Sometimes the pauses, separation of concepts...etc. that punctuation causes can be manipulated in a way that strenghtens the rhetorical effect.

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing my poem. I so agree with your comment about grammar.