Friday, June 12, 2009

A War of Thoughts


On the battlefield
Neutron explosions
Of planted mines
In neuron tunnels
Leave gaping holes
Where roses and lilies
Once grew, and thrived.
Alas, even icy waters
Of a glacier stream
Will not cool the fire.

19 comments:

Karen said...

Oh my gosh! What an image --

Neutron explosions
Of planted mines

The contrast of this and the places where roses and lilies grew and thrived is as chilling as the waters!

Beautiful, Cat! Those planted mines will stick with me!

steveroni said...

I love reading your verse...even though my imagination will not conjure such imagery in word.

Thank you. My 55 is simply a song slightly trimmed. "Someone else's stuff.

Aniket Thakkar said...

You just saw Star Trek didn't you???

This is the Vulcan in you scribbling. :)

You sure painted a very strong picture. Today seems to be a great day for poetry. Read a few outstanding poems. I am loving 'em. :P

RachelW said...

Oh, what an incredible photo! Did the photo inspire the words, or did you pair them later?

Wait. What? said...

Amazing and so well written!

christopher said...

Neutron Lives

The neutron is three
minute jewels so glued tight
that they will not blow
apart for at least
ten whole minutes.
This seems short to us bigger
people but not so.
Neutrons pass aeons in
seconds, and grow entire worlds
which pass in minutes.

Opaque said...

This is quite strong! And, a highly contrasting imagery too! Keep writing!

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

I feel so sorry for all the young men (and women now unfortuantely) who can never erase the things they saw in war from their minds - nor heal the wounds they incurred. Mines are especially devastating. I always admired Princess Diana for all her good work in trying to rid fields and old battle grounds of mines.

Great photo and nice take. I agree with Karen - the idea of mines exploding where flowers used to grow is a chilling.

Julie said...

Cat, you're really rocking it. This is very powerful. I love the succinct lines. You say so much. And, of course, I love what the words say to me. It instantly reminded me of an argument I had with someone a while ago. I try not to do that nowadays:) But these lines hit me with a thump:

"Of planted mines
In neuron tunnels
Leave gaping holes
Where roses and lilies
Once grew, and thrived."

It also makes me think of the many, many wars I have with myself. All those planted mines in my neuron tunnels.

I hope I'm not completely off the mark. Of course, it could be a real war. But that's what I love about poetry. It speaks to me in many different ways. Your poetry does that every time I read it. I love it!

Piratedred said...

Wow Cat.

This touches me on so many levels. But not as much with the man vs. man idea of war. Mine focuses on the wars that we fight every day within our own minds.

Thank you for the beautiful words and I will be back often.

Tony

Noelle Dunn.... A Poet in Progress said...

Good one, Cat.

Catherine Vibert said...

Thanks everyone! In answer to Rachel's question, I had the inspiration for the poem and the photograph at the same moment. I had the idea for the poem, and the photograph flashed into my mind. It's a photo I took several years ago of my son Chris, when we were on Mt. Rainier and he thought it would be fun to put his head into the glacier water. I made him do it twice because I wanted to take the picture. He isn't always so cooperative, but in this case, he obliged. :-)

In regards to the poem, I know that the words are violence, but I feel strongly that the violence in our minds is the cause of depression, as well as the violence we see manifested on earth. So it is strong, what goes on in our minds. And this is why finding time to silence the inner war is a good idea for each of us personally, but also for the world.

Special note to Christopher, your poem is especially apt considering the worlds we build in our heads in the way of fantasy and illusion. They are indeed the stuff of 'thought mines'. Thank you so much for that, it expanded the meaning of my poem by a radioactive mile.

Margaret said...

Magnificent Cat!!

What an image you conquered up in a few lines. - Explosive!!

Calli said...

Powerful words from my sis, our beloved, Creative Content Provider!

Very cool pic!
~Calli

Greener Bangalore said...

hehehe nice snap :)

Vesper said...

This is a fantastic poem, Cat, its power burrowing deep in the neuron tunnels...
The photo too is extraordinary!

Anonymous said...

I feel the pain in that.

Maybe there is a lovely flower that thrives in the blown out craters. I imagine they would be very beautiful trailing down the sides.

Fida said...

Sad, beautiful and strong at the same time. And what a photo that goes with it!

JR's Thumbprints said...

I hope that young man doesn't get a headache from the cold water; if so, his war of thought might become jumbled.

Happy Easter, Pappy

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