across the aisle newspapers held high, cheeks, chins, choppers unseen
eyes dark – rings under, brows arced, lips thin or created; bearded or clean?
all secreted behind headlines, crosswords, financial fabric, scandals repeatable
who did, didn’t, might have, done, regretted, sued – utterly despicable
more or less abetted by purpose-poised steps un-glorious – or not, who knows –
names neath the tread: buttons, bows, laces, leather, synthetic, vegan – each shows
hey, ho – what’s this I see before me, character misplaced, what’s a’foot transcription!
does what the feet wear in the traipse and speed of the day to day, deserve description
bored, half asleep, yawning early morning, I study feet, staring a what people are bearing
dawn to dusk hustle-bustle to offices, stores, high rise cut glass – high prices glaring
cities are not for me, prefer to see where the grass is always greener and welcome for it
imagine trying to find morning dew on a sidewalk spiffed with trodden chew gum spit
consider a reveille of lorries, trains and planes or those out of tune phones and drones
instead of skylarks arising, bells chiming, lovers uncrumpling, each other now alone
faith is losing to metal, fire and disbelief; as is learning as shots kill, yet vigils live
Man has little to praise day by day as night grows darker ’til life has naught else to give
Humanity’s connection with our Mother, Gaia, is slipping away from us these days. And in the process, we are also losing our humaneness, our ability to see each other as whole. It is possible to have a modern world and stay true to the world around us and to each other, but I think it will take a whole new system with new social relations, new ways of thinking and acting. As hard as we may try as individuals, or in small groups, the cancer of ‘me first’, and isolation will only grow.
Your poem is right on time Emma and I thank you for posting it.
-Curt
I agree with you, start to finish and after the second time of reading, Curt. If people are as intelligent as they believe, why can’t modern and natural world succeed as partners. We know of the sweetness of mix and match with wonderful results. We know that differences create something unseen before, individuality lives on.. and on, consequently. Failures happen but can be adjusted with or by tombolic attempts over time. Surely things don’t have to be rushed, time makes time – use it, perhaps. Perhaps?
I like to “touch earth” myself, and try to do it every day, even when it’s cold outside. Maybe especially when it’s cold outside. Urban life was never something I fully jibed with. Closer & closer I get to my ultimate goal of becoming an old Appalachian hermit lol. Though I am grateful to have had the city experience. Often, it’s the city folk who appreciate what we hillbillies sometimes take for granted.
I really like this “paragraph poetry” form with longer lines, so different from my own curt, fast-moving style. Ideas & descriptions can linger much more effectively in this form, and it shows that you aren’t lazy like me lol. This was a glorious sonder for reader and protagonist alike, a sonder within a sonder, maybe….