Apr
Literati.
‘Tis indeed a challenge to incorporate the quote I require each finalist to embed in their entry: “Give him/her this message” AND leave it inspirational, something positive in a world fraught with negativity. Doubly hard to weave the quote into poetry, which is how Grant Laurence choose to respond to the prompt. Just three more to post after this one before the voting can begin, but by all means feel free to leave comments for all the finalists in the comment boxes.
Affirmation
by Grant Laurence
If you see him waiting at the gates
Now the painted horses have been set free
No cage for the lion’s heart to challenge
Please give him this message, and tell him that…
Lightening crashed upon me so that I might truly see
A mirror now polished with certainty and trust
Rooted to the sky, I see your face, and hold you high
And know that we are one
Unblemished by God’s experienced axe
Stand me before the firing squad and let the bullets rain
Bathed in our blood that mingles without restraint
And let the animals fill their bellies
So that it might be called a sin by casual onlookers with open wounds
The pond’s glass cloak is not cracked by mindless stones
Not blind to your transparent state, my eyes turned yet I can’t help but see
All things of equal value
The flowers in the field are tattooed upon my skin
Let me wrap you in white linen and carry you this time
As I walk with you with no want for shoes
Making earth our witness, I lay you down
And caste our names into the wind, then hear the birds sing just for you
Together alone, I sit content beside the shallow waters
Bathed in their reflective reward, with no thought to disturb
Our communion suspended by the tide
And my desire and need to tend to new footprints in the sand
Your enigmatic body glitters before me
The boy from the brigade is here at my side
Yet now that you are no longer, silently you tell me all
And finally, unburdened by my challenges and without remorse, I lovingly let you go
https://youtu.be/sWbg8NIyVRA
I like the use of water and sky as reflecting paralells throughout this poem. A mirror image of two cleansing bodies and the narrator in between. The flow of the language is gente as well like the tide referenced in the sixth to last stanza. Nicely done.
The images are breathtaking. What an elegant response to the contest prompt.
An open heart poignant poem of love, pain and the necessity of letting her go. Beautiful.
Your passion for mythical epic battle (mythical, if I may call it that, perhaps historical), is a theme you often use. I do so admire the element and how you craft towards it. The prompt was a tough one. All the stories, in my opinion, suffered, but the injected words within poetry could have been disastrous. I was impress with how you handled it.
Good luck in the finals, Mr. Laurence
So very well written with images that dance in one’s mind. Extraordinary Grant – extraordinary. I have no critique for this marvelous piece of work.